


They Don't Know They Do It

by C M Ramsey (NeoCortex)



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Danno and Steve can't stop touching each other, Danno is the Pot, Fluff, Grace is an undutiful child, M/M, Poor McDanno, Steve is the Kettle, Touchy-Feely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 22:11:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 39,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11427225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoCortex/pseuds/C%20M%20Ramsey
Summary: Gracie sees all...And apparently when she and Kono plot, Adam steers clear...





	1. Chapter 1

            Grace Williams was a very observant person. She was also the quiet one that people apparently wondered about until they got to know her. But it was her ever watchful eyes that saw things many people probably didn’t want others to see. Or that they didn’t realize was being seen.

Take the current situation she was watching for example.

Uncle Steve had his hand planted firmly on the small of her dad’s back. Now as her family- or at least the Italian Jersey side of it- was a touchy feely kind of crew she didn’t see that as all that odd. And her dad appearing to lean back into the touch wasn’t even all that odd. It was an acknowledgement of the touch. A kind of ‘yeah, I feel you there’ sort of thing.

What she did find a little more interesting though was what Uncle Steve was doing. The thumb of the hand on Danno’s back was seeming to rub small circles into the fabric of Danno’s shirt. But if the look on her dad’s face was anything to go by, the movement was meant to comfort. Danno looked kind of constipated. It was his equivalent to Uncle Steve’s aneurism face.

Something was no Bueno…

            Later that same day Grace saw it again. The way Uncle Steve always seemed to be touching Danno. And okay, before anyone gets all up in arms at her, no, she didn’t have an issue with it. It was just interesting to watch. Because from what she could remember from when her mom and Danno were married they never touched nearly as much. And Danno was a very touchy feely person- again, it came from the Italian Jersey side.

But from what Grace knew about Uncle Steve’s family, it wasn’t quite the same. They hadn’t been that tactile. But Uncle Steve was _always_ touching Danno. And Danno was always touching back.

Even when they were fighting and arguing they were touching one another.

And Grace had seen a fair few of their arguments. Hell she’d been around for one of their honest to God brawls. It hadn’t been pretty and she and Aunt Kono were the ones cleaning them up. Believe it or not she ended up cleaning up Uncle Steve. Aunt Kono apparently predicted a separate fight between Williamses if she’d cleaned up Danno. She was probably right… But Grace would only ever admit that to herself.

Grace was watching as her Danno and Uncle Steve stood there talking over something and both had their hands on one another. Danno had his hand on Uncle Steve’s bicep and Uncle Steve’s hand was on Danno’s hip. She wondered if either of them realized they did it… Probably not at this point. But she had a feeling everyone else did.

            The entire Ohana were all gathered at Uncle Steve’s that weekend when something clicked into place for Grace. As she sat there watching Uncle Steve play his guitar for them, she saw the way Danno looked at Uncle Steve. It was a look mom had once upon a time when she looked at Danno, or even Step-Stan for a while. A look that clearly said he hung the moon. But when Uncle Steve was done playing for them- and singing (how had she NOT known the man could sing? He would have/should have been singing her lullabies when she was younger, damn it!)- the look on Danno’s face melted away to be replaced by a mask of snark and amusement as he made some off hand joke about Uncle Steve being a sap.

Pot, meet Kettle.

But Grace would also never say that aloud. For now.

Instead as she watched her dad and uncle interact through the rest of the night she plotted inside of her own little head. Her plot got added to all night with various other off hand remarks that were made by other members of her Ohana.

Uncle Chin remarked to Uncle Lou when he didn’t think anyone else was listening that if Danny didn’t watch it he’d be slipping in that puddle he was making. Lou snickered and Grace hid her grin in her water bottle as she took a sip. The youngest female glanced up in time to see Uncle Chin look back at her and wink.

Later that night Uncle Lou made a comment to Aunt Kono that had the woman snickering into Uncle Adam’s shoulder and Grace had no doubt in her mind that it was directed at Danno and Uncle Steve.

But it was later that evening as Danno and Uncle Steve took Charlie down to the edge of the beach to play in the water that Grace decided to drag people into her ‘dastardly’ plans. As the rest of the crew followed after Danno and Uncle Steve she slid her hands into the pocket of her sun dress, “Hey Aunt Kono?”

“What’s up _lā wela_?”

She sauntered up to her Aunt’s side as a slow grin spread across her lips- for two reasons. She liked that each member of the family had a different nickname for her, and she was a horrible, horrible, undutiful child. And she could hear that last part in her father’s voice very well. A dutiful child did not plot against her father. And she especially did not do so with his friends.

Sorry Danno. Gracie has a vision.

“I need your help.”

Uncle Adam’s “Oh dear God, help us all” had her snickering as Aunt Kono looked at her with interest, “With what?”

She looked over to the slightly taller woman as they came to a stop several hundred yards away from where Danno and Uncle Steve played in the surf with Charlie. The imp like grin now on her face would have had even Uncle Steve running for the hills. “Danno and Uncle Steve.”

The answering grin on Kono’s face however would have Uncle Steve looking for a rocket off the planet.

Poor Uncle Adam, “Oh, may the ancestors watch over their souls…” He was out…


	2. Simple Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chin notices many things.  
> Poor McDanno...

            The plan started off simple enough.

Normally they’d switch up partners here and there, Kono with Danny and Chin with Steve, sometimes Kono and Chin swapped. But lately, Kono was always making sure that she got paired with her cousin so that even when Danny and Steve were in argumentative moods they were still partnered together.

It was to force them to deal with one another. You know, like they normally did. Only on purpose.

At first no one noticed anything out of the ordinary there. Until one day Chin did.

“Kono, what are you doing?”

“Um… I was sure that with as sharp as a detective as you are, even you would be able to tell that I’m driving, Cuz.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what _do_ you mean?”

“Don’t be obtuse, Kono.”

“Then help me to be a bit more acute, Chin. We may be related but our cousin telepathy ain’t what it used to be.”

He smirked at her comment but relented a bit, “What’s going on with Steve and Danny?”

When Kono laughed Chin couldn’t help wonder if he’d regret asking that.

It took his cousin about five minutes to stop her weird cackling before he could try for an actual answer, “So… that’s wasn’t really an answer. It was more weird than answer.”

Kono took a few deep breaths to keep herself from cracking up again before she cleared her throat and spoke, “Grace asked me for some help with a pet project…”

            By the time that Kono had explained Grace’s thoughts and her plan Chin was grinning in a way that would have Adam wondering if Chin spent too much time with his cousin.

Kono smirked over at Chin as she pulled into a free space at the hotel where they were hoping to find their next suspect. “So… I take it that you’re game to help?”

Chin cackles as he climbed out of the car, “Oh, I’m so game.”

Those poor fools…


	3. Barely Nine In The Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's a Neanderthal and Danny tries not to have a heart attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor angst ahead...

             Danny was pretty sure he wanted to strangle his partner. No. Not pretty sure. 100% damned sure. Yeah. He was going to strangle Steven McGarrett.

The man was constantly leaping into action without a seeming care for his life or the sanity of those that cared for him. That latter being Danny of course. Lou, Chin, and Kono apparently have come to accept Steve’s antics and don’t bother with berating the man.

Nope they leave that to Danny. Who does so happily- or as happily as a man trying not to have a heart attack over his partner’s idiocy can get.

And it was barely nine in the morning.

            The morning had started with a call from HPD about a body dump. The Governor had prioritized this as 5-O because the body was that of a friend of theirs. And they had a bad feeling it had something to with them.

That was around four in the morning. Danny woke up at 4:30 to Steve banging on his front door. Danny had plugged his phone in when it had died but he hadn’t turned it on. Originally he’d hoped to sleep in. Clearly that wasn’t gonna happen.

While Danny got dressed Steve filled him in on the information he’d gotten from HPD and the following call from the Governor too. Danny was turning on his phone to find three missed calls from Steve, and one each missed from the rest of the team as he meandered sleepily back into the front room. As he shoved the phone into his pocket he walked to the table by the couch and grabbed up his wallet and held his keys out to Steve.

“I figured we’d take the Silverado.”

Danny yawned around his answer, “The Camaro handles better.”

Steve blinked at the tired man, shrugged a shoulder, and took the offered keys, “Fair enough.”

With a mumbled remark about making a coffee stop he followed the taller man from his current apartment while locking up behind himself.

            At 6:30 a.m. they had a suspect and were in the middle of a car chase with the man. Danny didn’t bother to bitch about Steve’s driving since he’d offered his car up for better handling. But that didn’t stop the man for clinging to the ‘oh shit!’ handle for dear life and stepping on his imaginary break.

And for his part Steve didn’t bother making a smart ass remark on Danny’s passenger antics.

            But the part that caused Danny to nearly have a damn heart attack happened about thirty minutes later. At five minutes to seven the car chase ended in a narrow alleyway. The suspect ditched his car and Steve and Danny were out of the Camaro and after him only seconds after Steve threw the car into park. Chin and Kono took off in another direction after pulling up and Lou was left with the cars. Turning them both off he coordinated with HPD as they pulled up and he pocketed both sets of keys.

While Lou handled HPD and cars, Steve and Danny were chasing their current suspect. A young man in his 20s that apparently may have run track in high school. Danny was lamenting the fact that he didn’t run like he used to when the perp scrambled up a ladder that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Swearing Danny turned to follow when Steve beat him to it and was up and after the kid in a matter of seconds.

Danny swore again and climbed the ladder- not nearly as fast as Steve and the suspect- his name was Troy by the way- but he made decent time. Especially since Steve and Troy were just clearing the roof onto the next building as Danny reached the top and was halfway after them.

For a few moments they were building hopping- Steve and the suspect participating in what looked to be competitive parkour- when all of the sudden Danny lost sight of the pair. Steve had the higher ground on one building while Suspect Troy was on a slightly lower one. When Danny lost sight of them he had a moment to scream his partner’s name as Steve went flying through the air and tackled the kid.

The pair vanished from sight and Danny felt his heart in his throat. There had been grunts of pain, a crash, and then yells of pain. He skidded to a stop at the edge of the roof from which Steve had leapt from and looked down. His heart pounding in his chest, blue eyes landed on the pair on the roof below. Though the building was a bit narrower, Steve had managed to keep them from falling off of it. But the ladder they’d knocked into wasn’t so lucky. Steve was shoving it off of them with one arm while pinning Troy in place with the other.

When Danny got to them, a glare on his face Steve smirked up at the blonde. He knew it was coming and he both hated and loved it… “Book ‘im Danno.”

Once back on normal ground Kono gave Steve a grin and said breathlessly- she and Chin had been following them from below, “Nice take down, Boss.”

“Don’t- don’t encourage him. That was unnecessary and he could have broken something.” Steve grinned smugly at Danny who’s heart had yet to stop pounding.

“Would you have preferred I let him get away?”

“No. But there are other ways to stop a guy from running.”

“Such as?” This from Chin who stepped up to Danny’s elbow as the blonde man gripped Troy’s arm tightly to keep him from running again.

“Well there is always the tried and true method. It’s crude but effective.” He watched Troy’s face morph into confusion from the corner of his eye while the team raised their brows collectively.

“Shooting ‘em in the leg usually stops ‘em. The knee is always especially effective.” When Troy’s face turned white he spun him around in the direction from which they’d run.

“I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.” The kid’s voice sounded kind of reedy.

“I’m pretty sure you don’t get a say in this matter. And didn’t I tell you to shut up?”

            At 8:00 they find themselves in the middle of a shootout and Danny is pretty sure he can blame Steve for this one. He doesn’t know how, but like always he’ll find a way.

They’d gotten Troy back to The Palace and had finished interrogating him when they got him to roll on someone else who might be involved. So taking Chin and Lou the four men headed for the location that Kono had found to go with the name.

When both cars had pulled up the four men were barely out of them when they were being shot at. With a cry of warning they all duck down behind the SUV Lou had been driving and send over their own volley of bullets.

Danny is cussing up a storm by the time HPD backup arrives because at 8:10 Steve is moving from behind the SUV and walking forward towards the building. With every step he’s taking he discharged a bullet until the clip is empty and by that point he’s already got his next gun up and firing- the empty one losing the clip before it’s in his holster.

Danny used Steve’s name as a swear word and came up over the top of the SUV to lay down some cover fire- not that Steve seemed to need it, the damned Neanderthal!

It’s ten minutes later- all firing had stopped- when Steve walked out, dragging a man out along the ground by the collar of his shirt. It appears as if the man is unconscious and at that moment Danny hopes he isn’t dead. Though he figured Steve probably wouldn’t have dragged him out if he was…

It’s as Lou is cuffing the unconscious man that Danny takes the moment to once again yell at Steve for the second time this morning. By 8:45 they are back at The Palace and Danny is still berating Steve for his antics.

When they get inside Chin is already there telling Kono about what she missed- visually- and the pair are snickering and grinning almost impishly when Steve walks in with Danny behind him, still griping about his Neanderthalistic behaviors.

It’s as the pair walk up to the smart table that Steve stops, turns around and snaps back, “If it bothers you that damn much why the hell are you still my partner?”

Four pairs of eyes are now staring at Steve in various different wide-eyed fashions. Three in wonder and confusion, one in confusion and pain. The pain then morphs into hurt, but the words that are bit out are filled with venom.

“You know? That’s a damn good question.”

            At five minutes to nine in the morning Danny is in his Camaro and driving along the longest road the island has at speeds that would normally have him bitching if Steve were driving. Meanwhile back at Five-O headquarters the team is trying to figure out what caused Steve to snap all of the sudden while the man in question interrogates their new suspect.

When they had a moment alone Kono looked over at Chin, “We might need to warn Grace about the plan having a few hiccups…”

Chin nodded but remarked, “It’ll get worked out. Either Grace’ll get them to work it out. Or they’ll man up and fix it themselves.”

Kono looked over as Steve stormed back into the room, “I certainly hope so…”


	4. Son of a *****

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shocking revelation.

            Danny came to a skidding halt along the gravel shoulder of the road he’d been flying along about twenty minutes after leaving The Palace. His heart was pounding in his chest once again and blood was rushing in his ears. He could feel an ache in his jaw and realized that he’d been clenching it the entire time.

Forcing his jaw to relax he shut the Camaro off and pocketed the keys as he climbed out of the car. He hadn’t realized it but his driving took him to nearly the highest road point of the island. Stepping to the silver railing he slid his hands into his pockets and stared out over the view before him.

What had caused Steve to snap like that? Was it Danny’s incessant yelling at him? But that didn’t make sense since Steve normally quipped back with some joke about how Danny loved him or had his own things that annoyed Steve. But why had he just gone off like that?

Had Danny said something that cut too close to home?

To be fair, Danny didn’t really know half of what he’d said in the first place. But if he’d hurt Steve in some way he wished the taller man would have said so. You can’t fix something if you don’t know what’s broken.

And Danny was only griping at him because he cared. Steve had scared the shit out of him with how he’d stepped into the line of fire like that. It was like he didn’t have a care in the world about getting hurt.

Yes, Danny got that he was a Navy Seal and had specialized training in fire fight situations. But that didn’t mean you could go around putting yourself into danger like that. It scared people. And it gives the people that Love you heart attacks.

Wait.

What?

Did he?

Oh.

_Oh._

As Danny’s train of thought back tracks and his stomach twists into knots, his heart decides to flip over in his chest. He was in Love with Steve McGarrett. He was in Love with a capital ‘L’ with Steven Jack McGarrett.

“Son of a bitch…”


	5. A Different Vein Of Questioning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny can be scary too...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told from a few differnt POVs

            Kono had just finished a text conversation with Grace when an hour after Danny left the blonde man returned. His face was a mask but there was something in his eyes that told her that something had happened. Maybe not physically, but something had happened. Whatever it was he had a handle on his face when Steve walked out of his office and spotted the man.

The woman watched as something broke over Steve’s face and he opened his mouth to speak.

“Danny I-“

Danny cut that man off- his tone had been soft- with a raised hand; the other still in his pocket, “Fuhget abou’ dit.” Danny had a full Jersey accent at the moment which was barely there a moment later, “I may have a quick temper, but even you have your limits. I’m sure we had just as much sleep as each other so with adrenalin and lack of sleep warring together I pushed too far.” He shrugged a shoulder as he dropped his hand back into his pocket, “It didn’t happen.”

The look on Danny’s face was so sincere that Kono was pretty sure Steve looked as if he wanted to cry just then. Instead he seemed to deflate in some kind of relief and nodded almost brokenly, “I really am-“

“Stop, Steve. It’s fine. Let it go. We’re good.” Danny’s voice is so calming that Steve nods again and gives a tentative smile. Maybe things would be okay.

With that thought in mind she sent Grace an update text.

            He’d been cuffed to this metal chair for nearly five hours by this point and he felt pretty smug. They’d asked him all kinds of questions. Threatened him with all kinds of things. And still he hadn’t rolled on his boss. Sure he was the hired gun and yes he was part of the operation. But he was by no means the shot caller. And his boss kept him around for his loyalty.

These _haole_ pigs weren’t gonna get a thing out of him.

The big one didn’t scare him, even in all his anger there was nothing the pig could do that would get him to talk.

It was apparent that the dark haired man was beginning to understand that because he turned in anger to leave the room but was stopped by the little blonde one.

After a whispered conversation the dark man gave the blonde a strange look. Through some sort of telepathy the pair conversed in silence until the big man nodded and left the room.

Oh so they were gonna do the ‘Good cop, Bad cop’ thing now? Fun. Time for Mr. Good cop then? He snorted now and shook his head.

“I hope you know you’ll fair no bettah than your bruddah.”

Blondie snorted himself now as he took his hands out of his pockets and shook his head. “I dunno. He and I have slightly different methods…”

He watched with a raised brow and Blondie unbuttoned the cuff of his left sleeve and slowly began to roll the sleeve up to a point just below his elbow.

“And what’s that? The Good cop method?”

Blondie snickered a bit as he repeated his actions with the right sleeve before looking at him.

He watched with a little concern as something in Blondie’s eyes went very cold and very dark and the short man pointed with a thumb over his shoulder in the direction Big Guy had just gone, “Oh no. He’s the Good Cop.”

The man cuffed to the chair- Ricon by the way- swallowed a lump in his throat now as Blondie took a few steps towards him.

“See, I come from a place where we do interrogation a little differently in cases like this.”

“You can’t do nothin’ ta me, Pig!” He spoke with much more bravado than he felt right this moment.

Blondie snickered again and held his arms open wide, “See that’s the thing. I can, Bruddah.” He affected a mocking islander accent at the last word. “My team, we answer only to the Governor. And you killed a friend of theirs. Well, you were part of a team that did it. And since we answer only to the Governor- and God- we have full autonomy.” His grin was very dark as his arms fell to his side again, “Which means I can use whatever method I want to get my answers out of you.”

As Blondie took a step forward again, checking his sleeves, he nodded to the surrounding room, “And look around you…” His next words were followed by fear in Ricon’s gut.

“No cameras.”

            So Danny may have been lying about no cameras. But Ricon didn’t know that. And besides, it was in the light fixture- _behind_ the chair. So the team was standing around the TV watching with a mixture of shock and awe as Danny used his own brand of ‘interrogation’.

They heard him as he asked after the first punch landed to Ricon’s jaw, “You gonna talk?”

When the man just spit blood on the floor and looked up at Danny semi-defiantly they continued to watch as Danny’s grin darkened and he said, “I didn’t think so,” before landing another punch to the opposite jaw.

On screen they watched still as he spoke again, “You see, I’ve been a cop for a long time. And I’ve had my fair share of cases like this. And once or twice we’ve had to break a suspect.” He punched the man in the gut, causing him to double over in the chair, grunting in pain again.

“And after a while, you learn that you might have to make it look like the guy had some kind of accident that caused them to look the way they will in the end.” He lands another blow to the gut, this one looked to be off center from the first shot. “For instance we have no idea what happened when Steve when in after you. For all we know there was a fight.” He stepped around to the other side of Ricon and threw in a kidney shot, “So I know how to land my punches. Know where to land them so it doesn’t look like a beating obtained in interrogation.”

He stepped back for a moment as Ricon spit blood again, “That’s illegal!”

Danny didn’t seem to care as his reply was, “So is murder,” right before he backhanded the guy across the jaw.

The team was kind of engrossed in the display so much so that they were shocked with the feed cut out and turned black.

The voice behind them pulled their attention though, “Plausible deniability, guys.”

The trio turned to see Steve standing with a hand on the computer table and the other on his hip.

It was Chin that cleared his throat now and nodded, “Right boss. Were you able to get anything out of the guy?”

“Other than he doesn’t talk to pigs?” Steve asked innocently, “Nah. But Danny said he wanted to try a different vein of questioning. So hopefully he’ll get something I didn’t.”

When the group nodded Steve retreated to his office and Lou cleared his throat, “I think I’m gonna make a lunch run.” Kono and Chin nodded asking for their usual orders to Lou’s retreating back before turning to look at each other.

“Are we gonna talk about the fact that Danny is kind of scary?”

“How about imagining what that might look like if it was one of us or his kids in danger?”

It was Kono’s turn to clear her throat now as she looked over to where Steve was ‘hiding’ in his office, “I’m glad he’s on our side.”

Chin nodded as he looked at the black screen instead, “Yeah. Me too…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seem to come across a lot of stories that barely touch on the fact that Danny is indeed from Jersey.  
> And I know he might not seem like the kind of guy who would do this sort of thing, but he would at the very least know how.  
> And hey, he did undercover work. ^_~


	6. They Don't Know They Do It- Redux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even Lou notices!  
> And Steve feels like an ass...

            He had no idea what caused him to say what he had. And he knew as soon as the words had left his mouth that he couldn’t take them back. Even if the pain in Danny’s eyes made him wish he could. Oh how he wish he could rewind time and not say those words. Danny was his best friend. He hated seeing the other in pain. Hated being the cause of that pain.

But Danny had been right. Adrenaline mixed with need for sleep and he’d just snapped.

Though that didn’t give him a right to take it out on Danny. While Danny was currently ‘interrogating’ their suspect, Steve was sitting in his office working on the paperwork portion of the first suspect apprehension and letting his mind wander over the events of that morning.

Danny had been berating him for going all commando and storming the building like he had. Sure Steve deserved it, he knew he’d probably scared the team- apparently Danny most of all- so he’d taken it and even griped back with Danny. It was their thing.

But as Danny kept going even after they were safely on their way back to HQ it had started to wear on Steve’s nerves. But he’d ignored the annoyance and interjected as lightly as he could here and there when Danny allowed. And it had been fine.

Right up until they got to the bullpen and apparently Steve just wanted Danny to shut up for once.

And oh how he’ll regret that moment for the rest of his life.

As soon as Danny had left the office Steve felt a ball rise in his gut and settle there. He’d forced himself to hold the anger close as he snapped an about face and made his way to were Ricon was now in interrogation- thank you HPD.

Ten minutes later and he had gotten nowhere other than the man’s name and that he “wasn’t talking to no haole pig”. So he’d stormed from the room and left the man to sit there.

When Danny had come back Steve had been through his own mix of emotions, key among them being regret and to hear Danny tell him to let it go and that they were good made the bigger male want to cry. But instead he nodded and tried for a light smile. Apparently it worked because Danny proceeded to force them back on task.

They needed answers, and the Governor was only gonna wait so much longer.

            And that was how they were where they were now.

Steve was finishing up the last of the morning’s paperwork when Lou walked in with lunch from Kamekona’s and Danny entered from the direction of the interrogation hallway, wiping his hands with what looked like a paper towel. Apparently he’d washed his hands.

Steve got up from his desk now and wandered back into the bullpen, “Did your questioning pan out, Danno?”

His tone was light as Danny looked over at him while tossing the paper towel into the nearest trash bin, “Yeah. He gave me a name and where we might be able to find them.”

Kono was back at the computer table, ready for the information as Danny said it, “Henri Grimsby. He’s apparently staying at the Hilton. Ricon wasn’t sure what room, but they had met there last night and Henri had come out of the elevator at the back of the lobby.”

Kono nodded as her fingers flew over the touch screen keyboard, but Steve spoke up then. “Let’s all eat something before we go after this guy. I’ll call the Governor with what we have and hopefully that’ll satisfy for a few hours.”

When everyone agreed Lou passed out food. Once he had his, Steve wandered back to his office and plopped down onto the couch with his phone in hand to make the call.

            Five minutes later saw Steve hanging up the phone and Danny asking if he could join him.

Steve looked up and nodded, motioning for his friend to have a seat.

“What did the Governor have to say?”

“They just want us to solve this case and get them some more answers.” Steve looked sideways at Danny, “Did our guest give you anything else?”

“Apparently he didn’t have a clue who the vic was. All he knew was that his boss wanted them dead. Said the vic probably owed his boss money or something and he didn’t know anything past that.”

Steve swallowed the bite was chewing on and nodded. “So… where’d you learn that interrogation technique?” He probably didn’t want to know, but morbid curiosity got the better of him.

Danny was taking a bite of his own food when he answered, “I was working undercover in part of a mob ring. They had me working as an enforcer. It was something I had to know how to do…” Danny didn’t sound too thrilled about it and Steve couldn’t say that he blamed him.

“Well, here’s hoping you don’t have to do that again.”

Danny nodded as they lapsed into an easy silence now and enjoyed their brief respite.

            In Kono’s office the remaining members of the team were all watching Steve and Danny while they ate their own food.

“Do they even notice they do it?” Lou spoke up after a few moments of their boss watching.

“Do what?” Chin asked, though he probably knew to what Grover was referring.

“Constantly touch each other?”

Yes the pair was currently non-handsy as they were eating. But they _were_ sitting side by side, touching from knee to shoulder. And the trio could visibly see the way that the contact seemed to relax the pair as they ate together.

“According to a one Miss Williams, probably not.” This was from Kono as she took a bite of her shrimp scampi. Say what you want about Kamekona, the man knew how to cook.

The cousins shared a look as Lou snorted and shook his head, “So I’m guessing they worked out whatever happened this morning?”

Kono hummed around another bite before answering verbally, “Kind of, I think. Steve started to apologize, but Danny cut him off and said they were good.”

“Well whatever, I just hope that whatever happens, they really work their shit out. The UST is getting to be a bit much…”

The cousins shared another look as Lou snickered into his shrimp gumbo.


	7. **** Me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shocking revelation part two.

            It had taken them until literally midnight to get to the very bottom of this damn case and catch the man behind the murder. Apparently Mr. Henri had been lying low the entire time since the murder had occured. His mistake had been when he’d booked a flight to one of the smaller islands. This allowed the team to bring him down- granted not without some sort of fight.

Chin and Lou both had gotten shot, Chin to the shoulder and Lou in the upper thigh. While Kono had sat with the pair, laying down cover fire, Danny and Steve had taken the boss down.

Actually Danny had done it. And Steve suddenly found that he completely understood why Danny was always yelling at him about his Neanderthallithick actions and his charge into action attitude without taking into account waiting for backup.

As soon as Chin had taken the bullet to the shoulder Danny swore loudly took the man’s shot gun and was out from behind their cover in moments flat.

That was the point in Steve’s night where he felt his heart drop from his chest to land at his feet. Danny was doing the same exact damn thing he’d yelled at Steve for doing just that morning. And the asshole was scaring this shit out of Steve. Lou was staring wide eyed at the blonde man and shoved Steve after him.

Steve managed not to stumble from his cover as he started shooting and laying down Danny’s cover fire. What gave the bastard the right to bitch at him for his behavior when he was going to be a damn hypocrite and do the exact same shit?

As Steve fired on those protecting Henri, Danny was aiming directly for the helicopter, putting holes in the gas tank and firing on the entire thing. Sure the windows were bullet proof but Steve knew Chin kept buck shot in those shells.

Dispersive results. Meant cracked and shattering windows as Danny aimed for them.

20 minutes after Steve having the fear of his life the whole thing was done. Henri was sporting a buck shot injury in the ass- dumb shit tried to run from Danny- and was being taken to the hospital to get the wound cleaned up before being taken to jail. A second EMS unit was on scene to deal with Lou and Chin. And Kono was dealing with HPD.

Steve was now yelling at Danny.

“Have you lost your fucking mind? You could have been killed Daniel!”

“Pot meet Kettle!” Danny growled out in response but Steve wasn’t having it.

“You have a daughter and a son Daniel! You have children to think about, damn it! A family that needs you!"

“And you _don’t_ have a family that needs you?”

“Not the way you do, Danny.” Steve snapped out those words before he thought about what Danny might mean. But Danny’s words brought his tirade up short.

“Well if you honestly think that, then I don’t know what to do for you, Steven.”

Steve was about to say something in response- he didn’t know what but he was sure it would have been good- when Danny turned on his heel and walked away.

Calling the other’s name didn’t seem to do any good at all. And when he moved to follow after him Kono stopped him, “I think you need to leave him alone for now, Boss.” The look she gave him was kind of significant and he couldn’t place why. But he nodded none the less and gave a sigh as he moved in the opposite direction.

He didn’t have a clue where he was going, but the case was done and he apparently needed to go for a walk…

            It was a quarter to two in the morning and Steve found himself standing on the low wall at Diamond Head. He and Danny had come here on more than one occasion and Steve hadn’t even noticed that he was coming here until he stopped walking.

Staring out at the horizon he frowned as his mind now wandered back over Danny’s words.

_And you_ don’t _have a family that needs you?_

_If you honestly think that, then I don’t know what to do for you…_

Well sure, Steve had Mary. But his sister knew the hazards of his job. She knew and even accepted that one day she’d get the call saying the job had taken her brother’s life. For her it was an inevitability.

Steve didn’t have kids. Though, sure he thought of Grace and Charlie as his, but he was their uncle. He wasn’t their father. He was a minor character in their lives. They’d get over the loss of him easier than if it had been Danny.

But that thought alone caused a ball of fear to form in Steve’s gut. The very idea of Danny not existing, not being alive somewhere in the world caused Steve to very nearly panic. The Navy Seal took a deep gasping breath and pressed a hand against his aching chest and rubbed a circle into it with the heel of his hand.

His heart physically hurt at that very thought. He couldn’t imagine a world where Danny didn’t exist. He couldn’t imagine not seeing Danny’s face get pinched into that constipated look as Steve did something he knew was gonna piss the other man off. He couldn’t imagine not seeing Danny’s face light up in laughter or when either of his gorgeous kids came running to him for a hug.

Steve couldn’t imagine a life without Danny in it.

Hold up…

Was he?

No…

Wait…

Maybe?

Oh…

_Oh._

Steven Jack McGarrett was in Love with a one Detective Sergeant Daniel Williams…

“Fuck me…”


	8. Those Poor Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even Rachel agrees...

            Kono was having a sense of déjà vu as she looked up from her cell phone in time to see her boss walk in. Hitting send on her text message she cocked her head to the side and looked Steve over. The look in his eyes mirrored that of what she’d seen in Danny’s this morning. Something had happened after he left for that walk.

As the man stood in the middle of the bullpen he looked a little… lost.

“Howzit, Boss?” She pocketed her cell as she took a half step in his direction.

It was as if Kono’s voice brought him back into reality. For he clearly hadn’t been there before.

“Where’s Danny?” His own voice sounded rough and his eyes held a wildness to them.

“He went home I think. But to be honest, I don’t really know. After you two left the scene Chin and I got into clean up. And Lou went with Henri to the hospital.”

Steve was nodding at her and looking as if he wanted to bolt. Instead he started to pull out his cell phone just as Chin walked into the room, sliding his own phone into his back pocket, “Hey, Steve. Walk with me.”

Chin’s tone left no room for argument as he headed past Steve and into the hallway.

As Steve followed her cousin as if in a daze Kono’s phone chirped in her pocket. Looking at the text she grinned a bit and grabbed her things and left the office. She was on a mission.

            Though it was far too late for her to still be up, Grace was sitting in her bed, legs outstretched before her with her History text open across them. She looked up from the chapter she was reading for homework as her phone chirped at her. Auntie Kono. Picking up the phone- a new one courtesy of Danno and Uncle Steve for her birthday- she opened the new text.

_So, a new update on Project McDanno. I’m pretty sure one or both of them might realize their feelings. One of them for sure at the very least._

_WHAT? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? WHICH IS IT?!_

Okay, she knew the all caps weren’t necessary, but this was a new surprise. Granted a good one. But still new.

_Yeah, Chin and I told you roughly what happened earlier today. So you know about the fight and your dad walking out._

_Yes. I knew about that._

_Well about an hour later when I was updating you Danny came back and he had this look on his face._

_WHAT LOOK? DON’T JUST PAUSE AT THINGS LIKE THAT!_

_lol relax la wela. It was a look of a drowning man. That look that one gets when they get hit in the face or gut with the realization that-_

Grace waited impatiently for the second half of the text to come in, her History homework now completely forgotten.

_something in their world has shifted and there is no going back._

As she read that she let out a squeal of excitement. Maybe Danno had realized he was in love with Uncle Steve! Now it was Uncle Steve’s turn. She was giggling like a lune when a knock at her door came and her mother’s head poked into the room.

“Everything alright, Dove?”

Grace looked up from her phone with eyes wide and a bright smile on her face, “Everything is absolutely perfect, Mom.”

Rachel gave a smile and a light chuckle, “Alright. I’m going to be outside, your father is here.”

“Danno’s here?”

Rachel nodded, “Yes. He said he needed to talk.”

“Talk? Is everything okay?”

“He sounded fine, Darling. Just tired. It might just be work.”

“Oh. Okay…” Grace frowned for a moment before her smile returned, “Tell Danno his Monkey loves him.”

Rachel smiled, “You can tell him yourself. I’ll send him in before he leaves.”

Grace nodded as her mother turned to leave. When her phone chirped again she had two new messages. One from Auntie Kono and another from Uncle Chin.

She read Kono’s first.

_And the look he gave Steve when he saw him told me that whatever conclusion he’d come to, might involve the Boss._

_Alright. What about Uncle Steve?_

As Kono told her about what happened at the end of the case (it was a good thing it was Friday) she read Uncle Chin’s text.

**I’m not entirely sure what happened today, but I think your Uncle Steve might finally know what sort of anxiety he puts your Danno through.**

This came through in two texts and Grace found herself giggling just as Kono’s text came through with the details of why exactly that might be.

_Yeah, Auntie Kono is telling me. Apparently though he deserved it. It was his turn for once._

**Haha, yeah. I think it’s nice to see him get a taste of his own now and then.**

She snickered again just as Kono informed her that her dad was pretty badass. She shot a text back to her with a smirk.

_Yeah Auntie, he’s pretty awesome._

To Chin she sent;

_Hey, Uncle, do you think you can maybe talk to Uncle Steve? See if you can flesh out some things?_

**You mean do your dirty work? ;D**

_Maaaaaaybeeee… No, you and Auntie are doing the recon while I put together the plan. It HAS to be fool proof._

**No, it has to be Steve Proof.**

_More like Detective SEAL proof._

**HAHA! Yes! Detective SEAL. I like that one. It’s gonna stick. I’m so using that now. Oh hey, Steve’s here. I’ll go talk to him.**

When he sent that she sent off an ‘okay’ and returned to her texting with Auntie Kono.

_So we have a new code name for the project._

_Oh boy… Do I wanna know?_

Grace snickered and answered.

_Detective SEAL._

_OHGOD! THAT’S GREAT! I LOVE IT!_

Grace could almost imagine Kono cackling at her phone now.

_So Danno is apparently here. Talking to Mom. Don’t know what about, but can you meet him at home? He probably won’t be here long._

_You want me to talk to him? Chin’s apparently talking to Steve now._

_Yes please? And yeah, I asked him to. Maybe you can figure out what the paradigm shifting moment was._

_Nice use of a $5 word. Yeah. I’m headed out now. Try to sleep. We’ll keep you updated._

_Thanks Auntie Kono. G’night._

_Aloha la wela. Sleep tight._

Grace let out a hum of happiness as she now returned to her homework.

            They were sitting on the front steps just talking. Rachel hadn’t felt this at ease about being around Danny since they were married. And it felt right.

“I just… I know I scared him tonight. But damn it! He does that to me on a regular damn basis!”

Danny had been going on like this for the last twenty minutes now and Rachel was starting to see something that she hadn’t quite noticed before.

“You love him.”

“Well of fucking course I do! He’s become family!” Way to sound defensive Daniel. A smirk crossed the English woman’s lips now.

“That’s not what I mean, Daniel. And I’m sure you know it.”

She watched as the poor man deflated a bit and his head hung down between his shoulders, elbows resting on his knees, and hands now clasped as he pressed them against his forehead.

“Danny?”

Danny sighed and shook his head, “Yes Rachel, I think I’m in Love with him.”

She grinned now and lifted a hand to rub it across his shoulders, “Obviously you haven’t said anything to him?”

When he shook his head Rachel nodded and took a deep breath, “Let me guess. You aren’t sure if he feels the same way. But what if he does? What do you do? How do you go about it? And then there’s Grace and Charlie. What happens if you and Steve start something? How will that go down your children?” She smirked a bit, “Sound about right?”

When he looked back at her she could see in his eyes even before he confirmed it that she was right, “Yeah… Yeah that’s pretty much it.”

He sighed, “And then there is the little issue of him maybe being not remotely bi.”

“For you, I doubt that would matter.”

“No, for me it doesn’t. But if he isn’t then I’m not going to push something that isn’t there.”

“Danny, you won’t know it’s not there unless you try. You have to say something.”

Danny sighed and nodded, “Yeah. But first I gotta figure out me.”

Rachel smiled again and nodded, “That might be a good idea. But first, go say goodnight to your daughter.” She held up a hand before he could say anything else, “It’s Friday, and she’s been doing homework. You know how she likes to get it all done so she can have her weekends.”

He gave a groan as he stood up and nodded before turning to head inside to hug his Monkey and tell her good night.

            Danny had only just left when Rachel stepped into Grace’s room again, “Try not to stay up too much later, Dove.”

Grace was putting away her text book when she looked up and smiled, “I won’t. Was Danno okay? He looked a little…odd.”

Rachel smiled and shook her head, “He’s fine, sweet heart. Your father is feeling… well he’s apparently dealing with some personal feelings and he’s got to work through them.”

Rachel blinked at the look Grace now gave her. It was searching and thoughtful. In these moments she looked and behaved so much like her father. And she was getting ready to ask what was on her daughter’s mind when Grace finally spoke.

“Is he in Love with Uncle Steve?”

Rachel’s eyes widened drastically when Grace asked that and she practically sputtered her response, “W-what makes you ask th-that?”

“Have you seen them together?” Grace’s direct question had Rachel snorting and clearing her throat. “I mean, really mom. How could they not be in Love with each other? They constantly touch each other, get mad at each other, but they always work it out.”

Rachel grinned slightly. Yup. She was Danny’s daughter through and through.

“It’s complicated, Darling.”

“How complicated can it be? They Love each other. Heck, Mom they’re pretty much perfect for each other.” Grace was waving her hands as she spoke and Rachel had to hide her smirk behind her hand. “Why do adults have to make Love so damn complicated? If a person makes you happy, pushes your buttons to make you mad but you can still say at the end of the day that you wouldn’t want to be with anyone but them, then why is that so complicated?”

Rachel smiled out right now and shrugged a shoulder, “Because they need to talk to each other. But your father has to figure his own feelings out first and he doesn’t even know if Uncle Steve feels the same way.”

Rachel snorted in amusement at the bland look her daughter gave her now, “Really Mom? Have you seen the way they are together?” There was that question again. “Uncle Steve is always around. He is never not arguing with Dad- even when Dad is right and has a valid point. He always pushes Danno’s buttons, and he is constantly touching him.”

Rachel smirked, like her father Grace saw everything.

“If Uncle Steve isn’t in love with Danno too then he’s an idiot and needs to back off so Danno doesn’t get hurt.” Rachel watches with a bit of frown now as Grace’s eyes take on a dark quality. “I don’t want either of them to get hurt. But I want them happy. And they’re happier together…”

Grace was sitting on her bed with her hands folded in her lap and looking down at them in a position similar to how Danny had been before. Moving to sit with her daughter on the bed she gave a soft smile and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Well perhaps we can do something for them. Maybe try to push them in the right direction.”

At that Grace looked up with a soft smile on her lips, and a look in her eyes, “I might… already be working on that?”

The way she phrased it had Rachel raising an eyebrow, “Who did you rope into this scheme of yours?”

Grace giggled as she answered, “Auntie Kono and Uncle Chin.”

At that Rachel laughed now and shook her head as she pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead and stood up, “Those poor fools.” As she left her daughter to get ready for bed she found herself sending up a prayer for Steven and Danny. They hadn’t a clue what was coming their way.

            As her mother left the room Grace shot off a text to Chin and Kono, _Danno talked to Mom. Apparently she agrees that they need a push in the right direction._


	9. Kelly-Kalakaua Recon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cousins do their recon...  
> Chin makes jokes and Kono sees a lot.

            Steve had followed Chin out into the hall in half a daze, “Look Chin, I gotta find Danny-“

“Yeah, I know that. But right now you need to relax. You look like you’re gonna have a break down at any second.” He put a hand on Steve’s shoulder and gave a bit of a squeeze, “Are you okay?”

Steve stood there staring at his friend for a moment before the question finally registered in his head and he stuttered out his answer, “I… uh… I have to find Danny.” Okay, so that didn’t answer Chin at all.

“That didn’t answer my question, Steve.”

“I’m fine, Chin. I think…”

“You think? Steve did you get hurt during-“

Steve was quick to cut off his friend’s rising fear and concern, “No. Danny and I never got hit. Unlike some people.” Steve takes a moment to indicate Chin’s wrapped shoulder wound.

“Eh, EMT said I was pretty lucky. It was only a scratch. Though I’m not sure why that set Danny off so much…”

Steve snorted and shook his head, “He’s probably pretty tired of us all getting shot at. And he’ll most likely blame me for it later.”

Chin snickered a little and nodded, “Probably. But what happened, Steve? You looked like you’d been hit in the face with a brick.”

The afore mentioned look then returned as Steve apparently thought back to whatever had caused said look. “I think I’m in Love with Danny…”

Chin managed to pretend a little bit of surprise as he rocked back on his heels and blew out a breath, “Are you sure?”

“I… I dunno. I’ve been in love all of once. Or I thought I had been.”

Chin frowned and nodded in sympathy as they both remembered how Catherine had left him behind.

“Does this feel anything like that?”

Steve shook his head and looked back to Chin with a semi-glazed look in his eyes, “No. This feels different…”

“Different, how?” Chin let his arms fold across his chest as he watched Steve.

“When I watched him dive out from behind Lou’s SUV I felt my stomach drop. If Lou hadn’t shoved me out after him then I’m not sure what would have happened. And the idea of him getting hurt using some of my antics scared me shitless. Then later after I left the air strip I was out at Diamond Head and just… I couldn’t get the fear or the idea of Danny not being alive to go away. I’m pretty sure I had a panic attack over it…I never had that kind of fear over Cath.” Steve was currently rubbing at his chest, as if his heart ached again. And it probably did if the look on his face now was anything to go by.

“You know… If Danny were here he’d probably make some smart ass remark about that being the most you’ve said about your own emotions for as long as he’s known you.” Leave it to Chin to distract and comfort for a moment.

Clearly it worked as Steve dropped his hand and grinned, smacking Chin lightly on the uninjured shoulder, “Probably. But I still gotta find him…”

This was wear Chin stepped in. Putting a hand back on Steve’s upper arm he said, “What you _need_ to do is go home. Get some sleep. Figure out where your head is at. Figure out what you’re actually feeling. And then figure out what you want to do about it. Eventually you’ll have to talk to him though, Steve.”

Steve frowned now and looked at Chin. “Yeah… You’re probably right.”

“I know.”

“Smart ass…” Steve sighed now and scrubbed a hand over his face, a yawn being wrenched from him as adrenaline began to wear off. “Ya think maybe you can give me a ride home? Danny and I rode together and he sort of took off with his car.”

Pulling his keys from his pocket Chin nodded and the pair left The Palace in companionable silence while Chin pulled his phone out to send a text.

            Kono was pulling up to Danny’s current house- a rather nice one actually- when Danny pulled in himself.

When they stepped out of their cars at the same time Danny looked over with a slight frown and a raised brow, “Kono? I thought you’d be heading home?”

“I was. Then Steve came to the station looking for you and I figured I’d come check on you.”

“Why was he looking for me? And you didn’t need to. I’m fine.”

“I don’t know why he was looking for you. But he looked a little punch drunk. Chin probably took him home though since his truck is here.” To prove that point she pointed over her shoulder to where she’d parked behind the Silverado.

She watched Danny’s face as minor guilt seemed to flash across it. “No worries. After you left the scene earlier he kind of went for a walk. He didn’t get back to the station until maybe three o’clock.” She looked at her watch and shrugged a shoulder, “It’s only a quarter to four. He might sleep now.” Kono chuckled now but looked back at Danny.

“But Grace texted that she was worried since you stopped by. Asked if the case went wrong or something. Told her I’d swing by and check on you.” So it wasn’t exactly the truth. But Danny didn’t need to know that.

“I’m fine. Just got a lot on my mind now… And I’m beat. Just wanted to see my Monkey before I crashed.”

Kono nodded and leaned against the hood of her Chevy. “That load on your mind wouldn’t have to do with a one Commander McGarrett would it?”

Danny snapped his head up to look at her sharply, “What the hell makes you say that?”

The lithe woman folded her arms across her chest and crossed her legs at the ankles, “Well for starters it was the look on your face when you saw him earlier.”

“What look, there was no look?”

“The look of a man who has had his world changed and he doesn’t know what to do about it or if he even wants to do anything at all.” She smirked a bit when he looked like he wanted to protest again. “Danny, I married a man that still looks at me that way when he thinks I don’t see it. I know the look.”

He frowned now but she continued on, “For another, it was the way you swept his apology under the rug and wouldn’t let him do it. You already knew he regretted it and you know he doesn’t do emotions well. So you stopped him. Didn’t make him revisit it. You took care of him without touching him. Love isn’t always touching and holding. It’s the little things too. The words. The looks. And sometimes even the silence.”

Danny faltered after a moment and sputtered out, “Who said anything about Love?”

Kono raised an eyebrow at Danny and just blinked several times until Danny sighed, seemed to deflate and flopped back against the hood beside her. “How’d you figure it out.”

“I know we joke about you two being married, but I’ve seen it since day one.”

Danny looked at her in confusion now and she grinned a bit, “You’re constantly touching. The fights are always fixable- because you make them so. You refuse to end your day mad at one another. Do I really need to go on? I saw this coming a mile off.”

Danny frowned and slid his hands into his pockets, “I only just figured out myself what you’ve known for seven years… But what if he doesn’t feel the same? And besides, I have to get my head wrapped around this first.”

Kono watched him for a moment and nodded, “Alright. Just talk to him, though. And soon. Don’t let it fester.”

With that she gave him a hug good night and got an assurance from him he’d talk to Steve, only then did she leave to go home. But not without first sending out a quick text.

            Not too far away Grace Williams was fast asleep with her phone held tightly in hand and a smile on her lips as two messages lit up her screen.

**Steve is SO in Love with Danny.**

_Your mom is right. Danny is DEFINITELY in love with Steve!_


	10. They Need Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch with the kids and even Charlie sees it.

            It was almost a month since Grace’s text conversations with Kono and Chin and she had watched as her dad and uncle still did nothing.

Sure, they were still close, still the best of friends, and still touched constantly. Nothing in that had changed. But she was 100% positive they hadn’t said a damn thing to each other. This was confirmed by Auntie Kono and Uncle Chin who apparently kept hounding the pair and keeping Grace updated.

And here she sat, having lunch with both men and her brother as they argued over their current case.

She snickered into her napkin and shook her head as she watched the pair. They stood at the food truck waiting their turn to order their own food while Grace and Charlie sat a table already eating their own lunch.

“Hey Grace?”

She looked over at her little brother now with a smile and reached over to move his hair from his eyes, “What’s up, Charlie?”

“Does Danno love Uncle Steve?”

Grace’s eyes went wide for a moment and she snickered again, “I think so, Charlie.”

“Does Uncle Steve love Danno?”

Grace looked over at the men just as Danno turns from Uncle Steve to put in their order. She watches as Uncle Steve just stares at Danno. The look is one she knows. She’s seen that look on Danno’s face once or twice. He’s looking at Danno as if the man hung the stars just for him. A soft smile on her face now she looks back to Charlie, “Yeah, Charlie, I’m pretty sure he does.”

“Why doesn’t he tell Danno?” Of course her brother would see it as simply as she does.

“Because they have to make things complicated. And they’re scared.”

Charlie looks up at her with a look of confused concern, “Scared of what?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, Charlie.”

“We should help them.” He said that so matter of factly as he turned his focus back to his shrimp that Grace couldn’t help but laugh.

Yeah. He was totally her brother!

Running a hand over his hair she turned back to her own lunch and smiled bright now, “I’m trying, Charlie. I’m really trying.”


	11. Devious Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 'unditiful' child will be enlisting the help of another person~

            Grace was sitting at a table in the food court of the local mall and was sliding her phone into her jeans pocket as she heard someone call out her name. She looked up just as Kono and Chin settled down at the table, “So what did you call us in for, Grace?”

Just as she was about answer Rachel walked back over with two trays in hand, “Oh good, everyone’s all here.” She slid into the chair beside Grace, placing one tray in front of her daughter and keeping one for herself.

“Hey, Rachel. Howzit?”

“Rather well, actually Kono. And yourself?”

“Okay, enough. We’re here for a reason. Project Detective SEAL needs a timeline jump.” All three adults turn their heads to look at the young female. “It’s been a month. A bloody month! And they haven’t done a damn thing!”

Kono and Chin look at Rachel with matching amused grins, “What can I say, she’s clearly my daughter. But if you had seen her not long ago, you would not miss how much like Danny she is.” The woman smirked as she popped a fry into her mouth.

“Regardless, they aren’t going to do anything, and we all know it.”

“That’s not necessarily true, Grace. Danny doesn’t usually wait forever.”

Chin chuckled lightly, “I dunno, Cuz, for Steve he might.”

“Sure, for the man to pick him he will, but it won’t take much for the man’s patience to snap before he tells Steve in some dramatic slip up that he loves him-“

“But knowing Steve he wouldn’t get that Danny means _in love_ with him.”

“Guys!” All three look at Grace again who is giving them all exasperated looks. “Seriously! They won’t do anything and we all know it. Even Charlie can tell they’re in love.”

Chin sat back for a moment with a snort and a grin on his face, “Seriously, a six year old can see it and they can’t? That’s pretty bad.”

Rachel shakes her head with a snicker now, “In all seriousness, Grace, Danny is the easy one. All it’ll take is one nudge from you and he’ll do whatever you want. It’s Steve that’ll need the shove in the ass.”

Grace was grinning now as she picked at her burger, “Actually I was thinking something a little different. But it’s gonna take at least a week before it’ll work.”

“What did you have in mind?” She gives the three of them a grin that worries Chin, concerns Rachel, and has Kono smirking.

“Weeeell…I think **_I_** should be the one to talk to Uncle Steve. But the one to talk to Danno is currently on a cruise for her anniversary. So it’s gonna take a week as I said.”

When Grace informed them of the other person’s where abouts Rachel let out a rather uproarious laugh, “Oh that’s just too good! To be a fly on the wall for _that_ conversation!” She cackled now and hugged her daughter tight, “You are truly a devious child and I fear for your father’s sanity.”

The cousins were staring now in utter confusion and it was Kono that asked, “Okay, so who is it?”

Rachel was smiling in glee when she looked across at them both now, “His mother!”


	12. Sideways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace calls her grandmother and things aren't QUITE going to plan...

            So Grace’s original plan involved a call to her grandmother and a conversation a little along the lines of this;

“Nana, we have a problem. I need you to talk to Danno.”

“What’s wrong, Gracie?”

“He and Uncle Steve are totally in Love with each other and too idiotic to admit it to each other. They always have some excuse why they can’t say anything to each other.”

“Well sweetheart they’re grown men, but at heart they’re still little boys that don’t handle emotion well.”

“So if I talk to Uncle Steve, will you talk to Danno?”

“Of course, Gracie.”

This was what the conversation should have been. Only as luck would have it, this was NOT what Mama Williams had in her own mind. And that conversation went a little more like this;

“Nana, we have a problem.”

“What happened now?”

“Well it’s Uncle Steve and Danno.”

“And what pray tell has Steven done now?”

Grace couldn’t help the laugh as she shook her head and explained what had led to this very conversation.

At the end of it her grandmother was choking on her laughter as Grace then explained how her plan needed a new timeline jump.

“So-“ she took a few minutes to take a shaky breath and compose herself- “So you decided it was time to call me then.”

Grace could then hear the obvious grin in the elder woman’s voice, “Well if Danno’s gonna listen to anyone it’ll be you, Nana.”

And that’s about when things went a little sideways in the plan.

“Oh no, sweetie, you let me deal with your Uncle Steve. You can handle your Danno just fine.”

“Um… Nana, I don’t think-“

“Oh shush, trust me. It’s best if I deal with Steven. You stick to my son. He’ll listen to you just fine. When it comes to matter of the heart where these two are concerned, Steve’s the one to worry about. Just talk to your Daddy. He’ll listen better to you than he will me. Trust me. He didn’t listen the first time I talked to him about his heart. This time is no different.”

“Um…I… Okay?”

“Oh don’t get me wrong, if he had listened to me I wouldn’t have the beautiful grandchildren that I do. But he doesn’t listen to me. Steve on the other hand…” There was that disconcerting grin again, “Steve I can get to listen. Promise.”

“If… You know what, okay. Go for it Nana. Love you.”

“Love you too, Gracie. Talk again soon~”

And as soon as she was off the phone with her grandmother Grace was rubbing her temples and shaking her head, “May God have mercy on his soul… And his sanity…” She then tucked away her phone and headed back into the kitchen where Danno was now making Nana’s recipe for pancakes.

Time for what should be an interesting conversation…


	13. Weirdest Conversation...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor, poor Steven.

            Danny walked into Steve’s kitchen several hours after the most interesting conversation with his daughter that he’d ever had to find the man on the phone looking as if he wanted to crawl into a hole.

Who was causing Steve to look this way?

            It was as Steve was finishing his shower that his phone went off. Blinking he looked over and grabbed the device off of his bedside table and frowned down at the caller ID. Picking up he put the phone to his ear.

“Ma? Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine, I’m calling to talk to you actually.”

Steve frowned and cocked his head to the side, pressing the phone against his shoulder while he pulled on a pair of khaki cargos, “Okay?”

“So when are you going to get your shit together and fuck my son?”

Steve stumbled as he pulled his pants up and ended up laid out on his bed, having dropped his phone. He finished doing up his pants and grabbed up his phone, “Ma!”

“What?”

“You can’t- I don’t- Why- What the fuck?!”

“It’s a reasonable question Steven.”

“To you! Not to normal people!”

“According to my son, you’re not exactly normal. Which brings me back to my question.”

“I’m not sure why you’re asking this question.”

“Because I think it’s high time someone made an honest man of my son. Again. And after all this time I’m thinking it should be you.”

Steve nearly dropped his phone again as he made a face of absolute confusion, “Okay, first off, how do we go from fucking to making an honest man of him in less than a minute?”

“Well it is the most normal course of action. Sex, dating, marriage. You know. Normal…”

“I thought we’d established I wasn’t normal?”

“Hey, if you want sex _then_ marriage be my guest…”

“The fuck, Ma?!”

“Steven, language.”

“Fine. What the hell, Ma!”

“Steven.”

“Look, there is no other way for this conversation to go without expletives.” He snatched up a t-shirt and pulled the phone away from his ear long enough to put the shirt on before putting it back to his ear, “What in the name of all that is sacred possessed you to call me about fucking your son?”

“I recently had a conversation with someone and it has been brought to my attention that the two of you may or may not be idiots.”

Steve sauntered down to the kitchen now and sighed, “And who was this conversation with?”

“Sorry, I don’t name my sources for anything less than a dinner at my favorite restaurant.”

“Ma, your favorite restaurant is $200 a plate.”

“Which is why you’ll never get my source.”

“Says you. I’m a SEAL and head of 5-O. I’m resourceful.”

“Suit yourself. But you’re evading.”

“As are you.”

“And I called you with a purpose. So my calling you and asking you first supersedes your question. That and I’m your mother, you can ignore it all you want, but guilt will have you answering me in the end, Steven.”

Steven leaned against the island counter and pressed his thumb against the center of his forehead as he let out a slow breath, “Fine. What is it you want to know?”

A delighted sigh came through the phone speaker before Clara spoke up, “Do you Love Daniel?”

“Yes.”

“Why haven’t you done something about it?”

“I had to get my head together.”

“And how long ago was this realization?”

“Not long ago.”

“Steven.”

“About a month ago, Ma…”

“You’ve felt this way for a month and you have yet to make a move?”

“It’s not that simple, Ma…”

“Are you afraid he won’t feel the same?”

When silence was her only answer she sighed a bit and spoke again, “Steve, is that what you’re afraid of?”

“Yes.”

“But you won’t know unless you make a move, sweetie.”

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t know what? Don’t know how or don’t know what to do?”

“Both?”

“Try this for starters, take him out. Not one of your normal places either. Don’t make it a team thing. Either cook for him, or take him out somewhere. Danny loves food. It’s an Italian thing.”

Steve is grinning at that now as Clara continues, “If that works, do it again. Make it known that you want him. And then fuck him.”

“MA!” At this point Steve wanted to crawl into a hole and hide from the world. Or go on another mission in Afghanistan…

And that was about the time that Danny walked in unnoticed by Steven for the moment.

He was too busy listening to Clara Williams cackle in his ear as she bid him goodbye, “Have fun Steven~”

He stared now at his phone after the woman hung up, the clearing of a throat bringing him back to reality, “You okay there, babe?”

“Just had the weirdest conversation of my life.”

Danny snickered a bit now, “Who with?”

Steve looked at the blonde man and cocked his head to the side, “Your mother…”

Danny blinked and raised an eyebrow, “Mom? What? Why?”

Steve took a moment to look at the man he was in love with before clearing his throat and pocketing his phone, “She just got an idea in her head and I got steamrolled.”

“That bad?”

“No.” He poured himself a cup of coffee and grinned a bit, “Not bad. Just strange.”

“Anything I need to worry about?”

“Not yet. I’ll let you know if that changes.” He gave Danny another, brighter grin now just as his phone rang for the second time that morning. Pulling it out he answered with that grin still in place, “McGarrett.”


	14. Interesting Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we have Grace cornering her father and being a sneaky know it all~

            Prior to Danny walking in on Steve having the weirdest conversation of his life with Danny’s mother, the blonde man himself had an interesting conversation of his own. With his daughter.

            He was sliding a few pancakes off the griddle and onto a plate when Grace entered the kitchen, “Morning, Danno.”

“Mornin’, Monkey. Sleep well?”

“Yeah. Kinda wish I could have fallen asleep to the sound of waves, but I still slept alright none the less.”

Grace looked a little shocked when Danny supplied, “Maybe I’ll ask Uncle Steve later today if he minds us crashing over sometime this weekend. That way you get some beach time in, and you can sleep better too.” He gave her a smile and a shrug, “What? Sometimes I am capable of nice things.”

Grace then gave him a piercing look that made him wonder if other people felt this exposed when he stared at them like that…

“Danno, I gotta ask… Are you in Love with Uncle Steve?”

The look on his daughter’s face told him what he needed to know. So instead he answered, “If you gotta ask, then you already know, Monkey.”

“Oh I do.” Her tone scared him a bit, “But I need to hear you say it.” Her frown mixed with that look in her eyes caused the older man to shiver.

“Monkey, it’s complicated.”

“No it isn’t!” Her hands were thrown up in exasperation now, “Either you Love him or you don’t! You don’t get much less complicated than that!”

“Gracie-“

“Do. You. Love. Him!” Her dark eyes looked at him sternly now and he felt a frown form over his lips as he sighed and nodded.

“I do, Grace. I really do.”

“Then what the hell, Danno!”

“Grace! Watch your mouth.”

“I can’t, my nose is in the way.”

Whatever he was about to say was brought up short by that response, “You spend too much time with your Uncle Steve.”

“So do you.” Her stern look gave way to a cheeky grin now. “Seriously, though Danno, it isn’t that complicated. Either you’re in love with a person, or you’re not. If it IS complicated then that means there are other people involved and you’re too chicken shit to deal with it the way it needs to be dealt with. Like adults.”

When Danny gave a sigh now she cocked her head to the side, narrowed her eyes, and spoke sharply, “Is there someone else involved?”

“What?”

Her mind searched around for the last person Danno was involved with and she raised a brow over her narrowed eyes, “Are you still seeing Amber or Melissa- whatever her name is?”

His brow furrowed now and he shook his head, “No. I haven’t been with her in months…”

“What about Uncle Steve? Is Catherine still an issue?”

“No-not that I know of…”

“Then what the hell is your issue, Danno?” A thought occurred to her, one that she didn’t know had occurred to her mother as well. And right before he could say anything she gasped a little bit, “You’re scared. You’re afraid he doesn’t feel the same or that he’s not interested…”

“How do you do that?”

She grinned at his consternation and resignation now as she walked around the table to wrap him in a hug, “I’m the daughter of a detective with the intuition of a woman. It’s a deadly combination.”

He laughed and then let out a sigh as he wrapped his arms around his daughter, “Okay, so you’re right. I’m in Love with Uncle Steve. And you’re also right that I’m scared.”

“But you won’t know he isn’t interested if you don’t say something, Danno.”

“Yeah, I’ve had that pointed out a time or two…”

“By women, I’m sure.”

“Your mother and Kono to be exact… So yeah… I know I gotta say something.”

“Soon, Danno. Don’t wait too long. Please?”

Danny sighed now and looked at his daughter. “Alright. Soon. I promise.” He motioned now to the griddle as she seemed to relax into him now, “Let’s get breakfast finished and I’ll drop you off at school before I go to work.”

            That was how Danny found himself standing in Steve’s kitchen now as the SEAL answered the phone for the second time that day.

Great. A case. Looks like that overdue talk would have to wait a little bit. Damn it…


	15. Car Chases and Date Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So what do TATP and Lilith have in common?

            They drove in together and Danny handed over the keys to the Camaro without question of without Steve taking them from him without asking. Not the first time it had happened, sure. So not really all that unusual. So Steve didn’t think about it, but Danny felt something in his chest move a bit as their fingers brushed when Steve took the keys from him.

            At the crime scene it was revealed that a car had blown up with someone in it.

“Whadda we got Max?” Danny asked as the pair sauntered up to the blackened vehicle with the crispy remains inside.

“Approximately 45 minutes ago this car exploded with our Jane Doe inside of it. I won’t know who exactly she is until I can get the remains back to the lab, but from the shape of the pelvic region I am able to determine the deceased is indeed female.”

“Alright, Max, you do what you gotta do and call us when you have more.” The pair waved as they wandered over now to where Kono was talking with Duke.

“So the call came in to dispatch about two minutes after the explosion, we’re able to get exact time from several videos that were shot on different phones from various bystanders. No one saw the woman get in the car, but they heard the explosion almost instantly. Duke said from the sounds of it, the car blew up as soon as she tried to start the engine.”

Steve nodded and sighed, “Alright, Kono, collect those phones- tell them they can pick their phones up at the palace in an hour, I want all those videos put together. See if we can get a 360 on what happened here. Have CSU sweep the car, I want to know what kind of bomb was used and what we’re dealing with.”

When she nodded and went to do as Steve asked Danny turned just as Chin was stepping up, “So I was able to run the back plate since it’s the only one not completely cooked. Turns out this car was stolen about a month ago. It belonged to a Gerry Thomlonson. He moved here from the mainland about six months back. Reported his car stolen last month and he’s been dealing with HPD on it ever since.”

“Well let’s go give this Mr. Thomlonson a visit, shall we?” Danny gave Steve a look now and the SEAL nodded.

“Good work Chin, help Kono and Duke, we’ll go talk to this guy.”

            The conversation with Gerry Thomlonson proved to be rather anticlimactic. Sure he was upset over his car being stolen and then subsequently blown up, but he seemed more upset about the insurance claim he was going to now have to file.

Other than that, he was just happy to have some closure on his car issue. Which for whatever reason didn’t sit right with Danny since the man didn’t seem all that upset that his car was used to kill an innocent Jane Doe.

            Back at the Palace though, they got a call from Max.

“So I was able to confirm that COD was in fact due to the explosion. And I was also able to get a match on her DNA and sent it to Kono as soon as I was done.”

At this point Kono takes over and puts the information up on one of the screens, “Say hello to our Jane Doe.”

“Donna Winright. She was a second grade teacher at Orange Grove Elementary in Charleston, SC. She was here on vacation and we found out that the stolen car was sold to the car rental place at the airport where Donna rented it three days ago.”

“So wait a second,” Danny’s head is starting to hurt by this point, “This guy, Thomlonson’s car was stolen last month, sold to Hertz, and then rented out to a run of the mill nobody just to have it blow up?”

As Danny was finishing up this statement Lou walks in with a tablet in his hand, “It didn’t just blow up, Detective. It was rigged to do so.”

“Oh good. More fun.”

“CSU finished processing the car and found traces of acetone peroxide.”

“Wait… I know this one.” Danny snaps his fingers and looks over at Kono and Chin now, “we had a case a few years ago. A group of college kids turned terror cell…”

The cousins nodded just as Steve chimed in, “TATP…”

“Bingo.” Lou then put the picture of the car’s license plate on one of the other screens, “Anyone wanna tell me what that says?”

Everyone looks at it confused for a second and Steve speaks again, “L-L-T-H, I don’t get it.”

Danny sighs now and motions with one hand to the screen, “Lilith. She was the first wife of Adam.”

Lou nods now and clears his throat, “Also known as the Mother of Lucifer.”

Kono blinks and her eyes go wide, “Another word for Lucifer is Satan. Mother of Satan.”

Chin looks at Steve, “Also another common name for TATP…”

“Thomlonson’s vanity plate was Lilith?” Steve looks at Danny as the blonde sighed, “I knew I had a bad feeling about that guy…”

            Turns out Danny’s feeling was right. They went back to Thomlonson’s house to talk to him and when they found he wasn’t there they searched the grounds. They found everything for making a TATP bomb in the guy’s shed. Calling it in they were on their way back out front when Thomlonson pulls up to the driveway. As soon as he sees Steve and Danny he takes off again and the partners find themselves in the middle of a high speed car chase on the H1.

It’s in the middle of this car chase that Steve takes the opportunity to do as Clara had suggested…

“So uh… I know this is really bad timing…” He starts as he swerves around several slow moving sedans.

“What? What Steven?” Danny is looking at him exasperatedly at the moment, “Because in case you haven’t noticed we are in the middle of a highly dangerous car chase!”

Steve floors the gas and speeds around an SUV that decided to change lanes right then, “Like I said, bad timing, I know!”

“So what, Steven?”

“Well I was thinking… maybe uh…” He paused here, licked his lips, and tried to take a steadying breath as he continued to swerve around more slow moving cars.

“Maybe what, Steve? What were you thinking?”

Steve can tell that Danny’s getting frustrated with his stalling, “Maybe after this case is over we can uh…” He pauses a moment to avoid crashing into the rear end of another lane changer now.

“Can what?” Danny’s voice is reedy in his frustration at Steve not driving carefully coupled with the stalling in the conversation that he is pretty sure could have waited.

“Maybe we can grab dinner.”

Danny is clearly confused now as he replies, “We always grab dinner after a case. What are you on about?”

“Nah, I was thinking um… maybe… maybe just the two of us.”

Danny looks over and can see Steve’s face is slowly turning a shade of pink that it wasn’t before, “What? You mean like a date?”

Steve starts to backtrack but clearly thinks better of it, “No, not like… Maybe?”

Danny is sitting there blinking at Steve as the man drives in and out of traffic for several minutes. Thoughts are rolling around in his head and he watches as his not answering seems to give Steve aneurism face. So after several minutes he finally says, “Alright.”

This clearly shocks Steve because he looks at Danny now with wide eyes, “Really?”

“Yes, really. But for the record, you’re paying.”

Steve grins now happily and looks back at the road for a moment, “I was thinking I’d cook for you.”

“Oh, so you can cook?” This was both a surprise, and not at the same time if Danny was being honest.

“Yes, I can cook.” Steve sounded a bit indignant as he gunned the engine now, a bit of a clear shot between them and Thomlonson.

“Okay,” Danny relented with a shrug of a shoulder as he tried to relax a bit in his seat, “sounds good.”

“Yeah?” Steve is looking over at Danny now with a bright grin on his face.

“Yeah.” Danny looks over to see Steve staring at him with that big grin and motions to the road, “Eyes on the road, ya goof, I don’t want die before dinner.”

If it’s at all possible Danny’s words make Steve’s grin even brighter as he refocuses on the car chase they’re still a part of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in my working on this chapter my browser histroy made me look a bit like a crazy person... Way to go for me...  
> Hope you all enjoy this one~


	16. Grumpy Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get the bad guy and Steve has prior plans with a certain grumpy Detective.

            So the car chase ended in a crash, but they get the guy. So it was a win. Granted the guy had to go to the hospital for his broken arm and ribs thanks to his air bag. But Steve got to say ‘Book ‘im Danno’ and Danny got to give the look that clearly said ‘I hate when you say that’ even when they all knew he really didn’t.

Steve also got a date out of the whole ordeal. So all in all, a damn fine end to a damn fine day. Well… damn fine end to a damn fine work day. The rest of the day still wasn’t over yet.

Danny was in his office finishing up his end of the paperwork while Kono and Chin popped into Steve’s office, “Hey boss, dinner and drinks tonight?”

He looked up at the cousins with a grin as he grabbed Danny’s keys up off the desk and holstered his gun and phone, “Nah, sorry guys. I have prior plans.”

Kono raised a brow and Chin gave a wicked grin as he asked, “Those plans wouldn’t happen to involve a certain grumpy Detective, now would they?”

Steve gave them that thousand watt smile of his as he pushed past them and headed to Danny’s office.

            The cousins gave each other looks as the pair pulled out their cell phones to send various texts to a one Grace Williams.

            At the door of Danny’s office Steve knocked twice before poking his head in the room, “Hey, you ready? You picked me up so you gotta take me home.” He let the innuendo hang in the air with his grin as Danny looked up.

“You’re cute, Steve. But you ain’t that cute.” The responding pout he got caused the blonde man to laugh as he finished his paperwork. “Yeah, I’m ready. I have to pick up Grace from school so I’ll be departing at yours for the time being.”

Steve nodded and stepped fully into the room, “That’s fine. I have to make a store run anyway. I realized halfway into my asking you out that I didn’t have the stuff to make the sauce I planned to make.”

Danny holstered his gun and grabbed up his phone with a raised brow at Steve, “What are you making?”

Steve grinned now and shook his head, “Nope. Not tellin’.” He then surprised Danny by tossing the blonde man his keys before exiting Danny’s office with a call over his shoulder, “You drive.”

Danny took a moment to stare in surprise at his keys as they currently lay in his hand before looking up to exchange looks of amazement with Chin and Kono as they stared at him with their phones in hand. He shook his head and quickly followed Steve from the office before the SEAL changed his mind.


	17. Monkies, Frogs, and Texts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny picks Grace up from school...

            Grace was staring at her phone when the Camaro pulled up in front of her. She had two texts. One from Uncle Chin, and two from Auntie Kono.

**I think your Danno has a date. Just hope he knows it. ;D**

_So Steve apparently has plans with Danny tonight._

_Also, wanna spend the night? We can get in some surfing before sunset._

When the Camaro pulled up and the horn sounded she looked up, grinned, and climbed into the passenger seat, “Hey Danno.”

“Hiya Monkey, how was school?”

“It was alright, Will gave me a new charm for the bracelet you got me.” She showed him the new charm on her Pandora bracelet and smiled when he nodded in approval, “He said it was to represent you since I’m your Monkey.”

Again Danny nodded while he checked to make sure he could pull back into traffic safely. “I’m surprised he didn’t get you the frog to represent him.” When he got a strange look from her he grinned, “Since he’s your frog prince and all.”

When she gave him a bland look he grinned again, “What? You can’t lie, it was a good one. And besides I thought you’d be happy that I even consider him yours at all.”

When this logic didn’t fail to win her over he gave her a smile again, “So what else happened today?”

“Well, I passed that chem test I was so worried about, don’t let me forget to thank Uncle Steve. Also, the idiot in Lit got expelled. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

When her suspicious look was turned on him he glanced over and shook his head, “Nope. Not me. Promise. That one I had nothing to do with. You do have four uncles and an aunt that are a bit dangerous though. You might ask them.”

“Well okay then. That aside, Aunt Kono wants to know if I wanna spend the night so we can surf.”

“Well you have two options. Stay at your mom’s tonight and I’ll come get you in the morning to go to Uncle Steve’s, or spend the night at Kono’s to surf with her and have her bring you by Uncle Steve’s in the morning. You pick.”

“Um…”

“I have a date tonight.”

“With Uncle Steve?”

“Yes…”

Her responding squeal had Danny wincing in pain as he pulled into the driveway of his place. That squeal was followed by a tight hug and an excited giggle.

“I’ll text Auntie Kono while I pack my bag!”

Grace was out of the car before he could turn it off and in the house before he was even at the door.

The texts sent to Kono was as followed:

_HE SO HAS A DATE WITH UNCLE STEVE! \_

_Also, Dad’ll drop me off on his way to Uncle Steve’s._


	18. Just A Little Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight's gonna be a good night!  
> Tonight's gonna be a good, good night!

            While Danny was pulling up to Grace’s school, Steve was already at the store and picking up what he needed for his béchamel sauce. He had flour, and butter. But he realized halfway into asking Danny out- as he mentioned before- that he didn’t have parmesan or milk. He was also short one article of protein that he needed too.

He was in the middle of picking up the things he needed while also on the phone.

“Seriously? Who called you?”

_“Just a little bird.”_

“That little bird happen to be named Chin?”

Laughter on the other end followed his question, _“Not tellin’. But you’re evading the question. What are you making him?”_

Steve snorted and laughed lightly, shaking his head as he picked up a block of parm to look it over while planning Chin’s demise. “Fine. I’m gonna make a steak and mushroom alfredo.”

_“Wowza, Stevie. You never made anything like that for Cath. Hell, you don’t make things like that for me. And I’m your sister.”_

“You’re easier to satisfy with a burger and fries. And with Catherine I don’t think I ever made anything other than just steak for her…”

_“And you usually went out to eat with her.”_

“True enough.” He found a block of parm that he deemed perfect for his sauce and headed around to the meat department. “Hey Mary… I was thinking…”

_“Oh, you were? That’s a first.”_

“You wanna be the pot or the kettle?” He snapped as he picked out a steak from the back of the display and examined the meat before putting it in his basket and wandering over to the dairy section. “I wanted to do something nice for Danny for Christmas this year. Should I have his parents fly out here? Or should I get a ticket for him to go see them?”

As he grabbed a gallon of milk there was silence from his sister’s end of the line, like she was putting some thought into the idea, then she spoke up, _“When was the last time they were in Hawaii?”_

“Last year.”

_“And when was he in Jersey last?”_

Steve actually frowned as he thought about that, “It’s been a while… Last time was maybe…four years ago…” He sighed as he wandered up in the direction of the register. “So a ticket to Jersey it is.” Steve smiled now as he thought about how happy that might make Danny. A happy Danny was always good.

But Mary’s next words made him stop short.

_“No.”_

“What? Why not?”

_“You keep saying_ ‘ticket’ _as in one.”_

“Well, of course Grace and Charlie’ll go with him. They haven’t been back to New Jersey in a long time either.” Come to think of it, he didn’t think Charlie had _ever_ been to the mainland…

_“No Steven. I’m not talking about the kids. You keep saying you’ll send him there. What makes you think, that if you’re going to be dating the man, he’ll want to go without you?”_

“Uh…”

When he didn’t seem to be able to articulate anymore Mary snickered into his ear, _“Didn’t think about that did ya, Big Brother?”_

He hadn’t really… That thought never actually occurred to the man even as he had begun formulating it. But to be fair, he’d been thinking about doing this for Danny since Christmas the previous year.

Being in a relationship with Danny hadn’t been on the table at that point so he hadn’t considered going with him. But now, even as he prepared for a first date with Danny the idea still hadn’t crossed his mind. Now as he stood in the middle of the grocery store with the items for a first date dinner in his basket the very idea that he hadn’t thought to maybe include himself in the planning of his gift to Danny was filling his head.

And now he was panicking.

Would Danny be okay with that?

What if Danny didn’t _want_ Steve to go with him?

What if he _did_?

Was it too forward for him to think that Danny would want him to go with him on a trip to see Danny’s parents?

Would that be considered a kind of ‘meet the parents’ kind of thing?

Did it count if he’s already met said parents? Even if they hadn’t been dating at the time?

Would he _want_ his parents to know they were dating?

Okay, sure Clara had basically given her blessing, but Danny didn’t know that yet. What if he wasn’t ready for anyone to know? What if his father didn’t approve?

What if-

His panicking was interrupted by his sister’s voice loudly in his ear, _“STEVEN JACK MCGARRETT!”_

His eyes snapped wide and he realized very quickly that he was doubled over and had a hand pressed to his chest, fingers curled into a fist in his shirt. He gasped out a breath, “Mary?!”

_“Breathe Stevie. Go back to that Naval training you’re so proud of.”_

He blinked several times before forcing himself to stand upright and take a deep breath, picking up the hand basket he’s apparently dropped in the middle of his panic attack.

_“Good. Do it again. In on a four count…”_ When he did so she said again, _“Now out on eight.”_

She counted off each second in his ear steadily and instructed him to do it again and again until she was sure he had a control on himself, _“Better. You have to focus now, Steve. You’re in the middle of the supermarket. You have meat and dairy in that basket. You have a date tonight and you gotta cook. Deep breaths and let ‘em out slow, Brah. Get through tonight and everything’ll work out alright.”_

He let out a shaky huff of a laugh and forced another deep breath out, “How are you so sure?”

Steve could hear her grin as she answered, _“Because I know you guys. If you can make it through a real first date then the two of you will be just fine.”_

He smiled and sighed a little, “Alright… Thanks Mary. I gotta go. As you pointed out, I have cooking to do.”

_“Alright, Steve. Relax. You got this. And maybe talk to Danny about that trip before you panic again. Talk to you again soon.”_

So hanging up with his sister he paid for his items and quickly made his way home.

He had a date to prep for.

            Danny was currently leaning against his kitchen counter. Once they had gotten into the house Grace had gone into her room and packed a bag, then proceeded to change and get her homework done while Danny took a shower and changed himself as well. Now, as Steve was paying for his stuff Danny was staring at his phone as a series of texts came in.

**_Not gonna tell you what he’s making. Sorry._ **

**_Promise you’ll love it though. d^_^b_ **

**_Have fun tonight!_ **

Danny snorted as his phone and shook his head as he typed out his reply.

**_Thanks Mar. Real helpful._ **

Her responding emoji had him snickering as his daughter bounded into the room with her board under one arm, and a bag slung over her shoulder. “Ready Danno?”

“Yeah, Monkey, I’m ready.” He slid his phone away as he followed Grace from the house.

Tonight was totally gonna be a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the summary was inspired by a Black Eyed Peas song...  
> It was stuck in my head, but it fit and I don't care. :P


	19. One Month Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which Steve cooks, talks, and confesses...

            By the time Danny had dropped Grace off with Kono and Adam and gotten to Steve’s the house was filled with the scent of the other man cooking.

And Danny was pretty surprised to find that it smelled amazing.

Stepping inside he called out, “Knock, knock!” Sure it wasn’t really the same as properly knocking, but he knew the code, had a key, and Steve was expecting him anyway.

Speaking of the code… As he closed the door, he reset the alarm and dropped his keys on the table by the end of the couch and wandered into the kitchen where the wonderful smell of whatever was being made was coming from.

When he got to the kitchen, Steve was putting something in the oven and Danny had a perfect and clear view of the other’s ass, framed wonderfully in a pair of faded blue jeans.

“So you do own something other than cargos and board shorts.”

Steve was grinning when he returned to upright, “Yes, I own other pants besides what I wear to work and on my days off. As a matter of fact, you’ve seen me in other things aside from cargos and board shorts many times.”

Danny shook his head, “Nope. Not unless you’re counting the dress whites, dress blues, and the suits.” And he could not forget the few times he’d seen Steve in a tux. Though he had to admit, at least to himself, that his favorite thing to see Steve wearing were the dress whites.

The man cleaned up well and filled out that uniform rather nicely…

“Don’t forget the tux. But no. I wasn’t referring to that. Surely you’ve seen me in jeans before?”

“Nope.”

Steve frowned for just a moment before shaking his head and sighing, “Whatever. What’s that?” He motioned to what Danny had in his hands now.

“I didn’t know what you were making, but I figured I’d grab a bottle of wine to go with dinner.” He knew exactly how that sounded, and right that moment he didn’t give a shit. Though to be fair, they never drank wine, and he’d been pretty nervous picking it out. He blamed Grace.

“Unless you’d have preferred beer, in which case I can always go get some if you don’t already have some…”

Steve, apparently sensing Danny’s anxiety, stepped forward, placed a hand on the other’s shoulder, and gently took the bottle of wine, “Wine is fine.” He slid the hand up to gently cup the side of Danny’s neck before stepping back to put the wine in the fridge.

“I didn’t really know what you were making- still don’t since you won’t tell me- but I figured a Merlot would be alright.”

Steve could tell that Danny was still nervous and he smiled, “Merlot is perfect actually. It’ll pair well with tonight’s dinner.” He turned back to the stove now and dropped homemade linguini into the water already boiling on the back eye.

Danny looked around the kitchen as he stepped in fully and noticed that the island counter was semi-covered in flour. Glancing at the pot boiling as Steve dropped in a nest of what looked like pasta he raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t?”

Steve glanced back at him now as he stirred the pot a few seconds and turned to now clean off counter, “Didn’t what?”

“You made pasta.”

“I did.”

“What are you making, Steven?”

Danny’s curiosity caused Steve to grin as he finished wiping down the counter, “A pasta dish.”

“But what’s in the oven?” He hadn’t forgotten about that.

“Something to go in the pasta.” He moved now to the fridge and pulled a produce bag out of the bottom drawer and turning back to the counter.

“You’re really not gonna tell me, are you?”

Steve was grinning again as he poured the produce bag out on the clean counter and began to slice up mushrooms, “Nope. I’m really not.” He looked up, his grin now softened into a smile, “But I promise you’ll love it.”

Danny sighed now and settled onto one of the new stools Steve had gotten for the island, “So… question...”

“Shoot.”

“That conversation with my mother this morning, what was it about?”

Steve snickered a bit and shook his head, “This.”

“This? Wait, you mean my mother told you to ask me out and cook for me?”

“Sort of. She gave me the idea to cook for you. As for the asking you out, it was more along the lines of she just put a foot in my ass to finally force me to get my shit together.” He said this so matter-of-factly that Danny nearly fell off his stool.

“I… You… What?”

Steve was still focused on slicing the mushrooms, but he didn’t have to see Danny to know that he looked a little shell shocked. So he spoke again, “Since I met you- the day you walked into this house to find me in the garage- I’ve known that you were gonna be pretty damn important to me, Danny.”

He finished slicing the mushroom and swiped them into a bowl and turning to the stove again, placing a skillet on the front eye, checking the pasta and pulling it from the water to set aside in the sink and drain for now, and then pouring some oil into the skillet while turning it on and letting it come to temp.

“Every year I watched as you morphed from this angry man- and you really were angry Danno. At everything and everyone. But I watched as you went from this angry man that swore up and down that he hated everything about this island, to someone who could be happy here. Happy to make a home here for the one little girl that meant everything to him.”

Danny watched as Steve talked and worked and he found it mesmerizing. Steve poured the mushrooms into the hot skillet and began to cook them down while he continued to talk.

“And every year from that point on I watched as you handled each shit hand that was dealt to you. From the way Rachel lied to you about Charlie and having to donate marrow for him, to the way that Gabby just ended it, to losing Matty, and even with Melissa. But through all of it, you stayed strong. You didn’t let any of it break you.”

He turned now to look at Danny, “Every year you came through each thing a better person.” Steve cocked his head to the side now, “And every year with each new shit storm in my own life you were there for me too. You helped me deal with Wo Fat, you helped me deal with Doris, Aunt Deb, you helped me with my father- even if I gave you no choice at first.”

Steve paused here for a moment and looked at Danny, as if really seeing him for the first time now, “I mean… You came to Korea for me. You came to Afghanistan for me… Twice, Danny. Three times you left the country to rescue me.” He cleared his throat and turned to the fridge, pulling butter, milk, and a block of something out as well.

“So yeah, I knew you were gonna be pretty important to me. But it wasn’t until about a month ago really, that I realized why you were so important to me…” He turned back now to the stove and dropped two tablespoons of butter into the skillet with the mushrooms then poured in a bit of flour from the cup at his elbow.

Danny watched as Steve stirred that together and frowned when the other didn’t continue, “A month ago?”

Steve nodded, as he now added a little more butter and a little more flour, “Mmmhmm…” He set the flour cup aside and took a deep breath. “When we were taking out that Henri Grimsby and you pulled a ‘Me’ without thinking I suddenly got a taste of what you probably feel like on a regular basis when it comes to me.”

With the flour and butter combined exactly the way he wanted them to be he poured in the milk slowly until everything was mixed together just right. He set the burner to a low heat for the moment as he grabbed a hand grater and opened the parmesan to grate half the block into the sauce mixture.

“It was later when I’d walked from there all the way to Diamond Head that I realized why exactly you were so damn important to me…” He paused here now to put the grater in the sink, wrap and put things away, and finally pull whatever had been put into the oven out.

Danny found now that it was steak. Two steaks actually. But he was still too much in awe over Steve’s talking to be concerned with the steak at the moment. (not that they weren’t very pretty pieces of meat, but Steve never talked this much. not about his feelings. and never about Danny and his feelings at the same time.)

“Why?” Danny finally found his voice after spending a few minutes in shocked awe.

The smile he was rewarded with was better than anything ever. It was soft and it gave Steve a look about him that Danny wanted to hoard for himself for forever. Steve looked calm and at ease for the first time in a very long time. But the answer he got to accompany the smile was even better.

“Because I’m in Love with you.”


	20. Luck Don't Hold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner is good. Too bad about dessert though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I debated with myself on how I was gonna do this chapter or if I was gonna do it at all and skip to the fluff and smutt of the weekend. But my muse beat me into subission on this one.  
> I was also unsure if I should end this chapter the way I did or continue on with the chapter that's to follow as the end of this one, but I think breaking it up was the way to go...

            While Steve was cooking for Danny, Grace was sitting on her board beside Kono while they waited for a decent wave, “So you made Danny stop for a bottle of wine on the way to mine?” Kono was laughing as Grace told her about the events leading up from the text she’d sent earlier.

“I did. I told him that since Uncle Steve was gonna cook for him, he needed to provide the drink. So we stopped and he got a bottle of wine.”

“Do you know what kind?”

“I don’t actually, but he did complain about not knowing what to get because he didn’t know what was being made.”

Kono was laughing so hard at this point that she very nearly fell off her board. Grace just grinned at her and nodded towards the horizon as water rolled, “Surf’s up.”

            Back at the house Danny was staring at Steve with a light blush on his cheeks. Steve had just confessed to being in Love with him and the shorter man had been in shock for at least three minutes. It was long enough for Steve to set the steak to rest on the cutting board and moved back to the stove.

What Danny hadn’t entirely caught was the blush on Steve’s face and the frown that had resulted from Danny’s silence. Steve thought he’d scared Danny off now, since he hadn’t answered. And to hide his embarrassment he went back to the stove to finish off the sauce and pasta.

While Steve put the cooked pasta into the sauce Danny took note on how Steve’s movements were stiff now. Not easy like they had been before while he’d been talking.

It took several more minutes for Danny to realize why exactly why Steve was so uncomfortable. His brain supplied an image of aneurism face from the car earlier that day and he blinked several times before his eyes went wide and he was muttering “Shit!” under his breath and moving to Steve.

Reaching around Steve, he took the wooden spoon out of the man’s hand, put it on the spoon rest (who even knew Steve _had_ one of those- and it was pineapple shaped of course), turned off the stove top, and forced Steve to look at him.

He kept silent as he looked up at the man that Loved him, but he didn’t keep still. Instead he placed both hands on Steve’s face, cupping both cheeks gently between them, and leaned up slightly to press a soft kiss to his lips.

The kiss was light, but insistent, and when he pulled back from it he gave Steve a soft smile, “I’m sorry if my silence made you think the worst. I was just really shocked. Not only by your confession, but because that was the most you’ve ever said in admittance of your feelings about anything.”

When it looked like Steve wanted to make a smart ass remark Danny stopped him by shaking his head and speaking up again, “I get that you don’t do it often because it’s not as easy for you as it is for me. But I was raised by an emotionally driven family, you weren’t.” His thumbs gently caressed Steve’s cheeks as he gave the other a soft smile, “So to have you say all of that just to tell me that you were in Love with me?” He blushed lightly as his smile got a bit brighter, “Well it shocked me. And made kind of speechless. And you know I don’t shut up easily.”

Steve let out a little laugh and nodded, “I know that all too well.”

“Exactly. So score one for you.”

“So confessing my Love for you is a good way to shut you up.” Steve grinned now, “Got it.”

When Danny smacked his chest and moved back to take his seat again Steve laughed loudly and turned back to finish putting dinner together- slicing the steak, stirring the pasta and sauce together, and grabbing the wine from the fridge where it had become sufficiently chilled.

            Having moved to the dinner table the pair sat across from each other and just talked. They talked about all kinds of things, from the Idiot in Grace’s Lit class:

“So which of you managed to get him expelled?” Danny asked with a smirk.

“I think that was actually a combined effort on mine and Kono’s parts.”

To the case that day:

“So what I still don’t understand is why exactly he was putting TATP in the cars? Why would he be willing to murder innocent people?”

“He’s a terrorist, Danny. They do things for reasons normal thinking people could never begin to understand.”

They even talked about food and cooking- or rather Steve’s cooking:

“So which parent taught you how to cook?”

“Technically, neither. I mean, Doris can cook. But she never taught me. I learned from Aunt Deb.”

“So not only can she sing, but she can cook too?”

“Yes, and every summer when I went to see her she always had me in the kitchen- Mary too- so we learned how to make all kinds of things.”

“So you can make a béchamel, cook a damn good steak, and make homemade pasta.” He grinned as he took a sip of his wine now, “Steven McGarrett, is there anything you can’t make?”

With a completely straight face Steve replied, “Apple pie. I just can’t get the crust right.”

This had Danny laughing and Steve grinning.

“Does that mean that dessert is a no go?”

“Oh no, there’s dessert. Of the chocolate variety.”

Upon hearing there was in fact dessert, Danny perked up a bit more and then an impish grin crossed his lips, “You know they say that chocolate is an aphrodisiac.”

Raising an eyebrow at Danny over the rim of his wine glass Steve smirked and replied, “I’ve heard that before…”

            Because all good things must come to an end, and Danny’s luck never held that long, it was as Steve was clearing the dishes from dinner away and getting ready to put dessert together that the doorbell rang.

With a frown Steve asked Danny to get that while he cleaned up really quick.

Agreeing amicably he made his way to the door to answer it.

The person behind it caused his heart to drop into his stomach and the color to drain from his face.

This could _not_ be happening right now…

Steve came into the room, speaking as he did so, “Hey Danno, who is it?”

He stopped short a few feet behind Danny as his eyes landed on the person at the door.

“Catherine…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So whaddya think? Good spot to end this one?


	21. Talk About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She came to talk. But the topic changed real quick...

            The way Steve said her name sounded about the way Danny felt. Shocked and nearly terrified. But he didn’t know if that was his own projection. Because damn if he wasn’t terrified of what was happening.

What the hell was she doing here? She had taken off last time and had informed Steve that she wouldn’t be coming back. And yet, here she was. Standing on Steve’s front stoop, looking as damn beautiful as she had every time he’d seen her before.

And wasn’t that a damn kick in the teeth?

“Um… Can- can I come in?” She looked between the two of them as she asked before her eyes finally landed on Steve in what looked- to Danny- to be a hopeful manner.

Steve started to stammer out some kind of answer as Danny took a few hesitant steps back, and shifted over to the table beside the couch, “I’m gonna head out for the night.” He grabbed up his keys and turned to look at Steve now as Catherine came fully into the house.

The look Steve was giving seemed panicked now as Danny now readied to leave, “Danno wait-“

“It’s fine Steve.” When the SEAL looked like he wanted to protest again Danny gave him a little smile and continued on, “Grace wants to spend the weekend with her Uncle Steve anyway, so we’ll be back in the morning.” He gave Steve a pointed look, a soft smile- even though his gut was rolling and his heart ached, and nodded his head in departure as he moved around Catherine- who hadn’t looked at him once since she came inside- to leave.

            Steve watched as the door closed behind Danny and felt his heart begin to ache. He should have told her that she couldn’t come in. He should _not_ have let Danny walk out. And he was half a breath from moving around Catherine and going after him. What stopped him however was not only her expectant look but also Danny’s words.

He’d promised to be back in the morning. Granted with Grace, but he’d still be back. When Grace spent the night Danny always did too. So he’d be back. Steve was going to be okay. He could handle this… Danny wasn’t leaving to get away from him. Danny wanted to be with him. He’d agreed to the date. He’d kissed Steve earlier. Clearly feelings were mutual.

Right? True, Danny hadn’t said that he loved Steve back. But that hadn’t meant that he didn’t. And to be fair, Steve knew Danny loved him. He said it all the time. Which was more than he could say for poor Amber- or Melissa, whatever her name was. Danny loved him. And he would be back.

For now he had Catherine to deal with.

And the remnants of a date to clean up. Damn it.

With a sigh he looked at Catherine with a frown and turned away from her, heading to the kitchen.

At least he had an excuse. He needed to clean up.

            Catherine had _not_ expected Danny to answer the door. Nor had she expected him to be there. Sure she knew it was possible, the men were practically connected at the damn hip. But that still didn’t mean she expected him to be there.

And from the looks on both of their faces, neither had they expected her to be there.

To be fair though, she had said she probably wouldn’t be back again.

And when Danny had said he was gonna head out she’d been kind of glad for that. She wanted to be alone with Steve. But the way the SEAL started to protest Danny’s leaving told her that maybe he might not want to be alone with her. Sure that kind of hurt. She deserved that after all. But maybe they could talk. Work things out. She could maybe get them back to something good.

She didn’t really hear what Danny was saying as she was focused on Steve, but she didn’t miss the way Steve seemed kind of lost as Danny closed the door behind himself.

And wasn’t that an odd kind of look.

She watched as Steve stared at the front door behind her and saw a range of different things cross the man’s face.

Lost. Scared. Concerned. Calm. Hope. Then a look crossed between consternation and annoyance.

That last one she saw only briefly as he turned away from her and headed for the kitchen.

Following after him she spoke now, “So, I know I kind of showed up out of the blue-“

A snort interrupted her here, “Ya think?”

“-But I was kind of hoping we could talk?”

He moved to the island counter to put the lid back on something and put it in the fridge before moving to the stove, “Talk about what? Why you left? I know why you left. You told me before you did it.” She watched as he put away the left overs of what appeared to be a white sauced pasta.

“Well, it was more than that-“

“I’m sure it was.” He sounded the annoyed she’d seen on his face moments ago now.

“But I’m here now and I want to explain, Steve.”

He pulled out a few Tupperware containers and divided the cooked meal between them all before putting lids on them, putting the skillet in the sink and moving to put the containers in the fridge, “Explain what, Catherine? You left. I get it, really I do. But you don’t have to explain anything.” He closed the fridge now and moved to the island counter again, this time picking up two empty plates in one hand and two empty wine glasses in the other and moving to the sink, “Besides it’s a moot point anyway.”

Catherine was confused now, “A moot point? What are you-?” She paused in her question and looked to the stove, back to the island, and then to where Steve stood at the sink, filling one side with water and soap.

“You had dinner with Danny?” She hadn’t meant to make it a question…

“Yeah.” His tone was tight and his back was to her.

There had been two plates and two _wine_ glasses. Them sharing dinner together wasn’t a big deal. They did it all the time. But they almost always had beer. And another thing; Steve had put away cooked food. He’d cooked dinner. They’d had wine and Steve had cooked dinner.

Steve had cooked for Danny.

“Was this… did I interrupt a _date_?”

In that same tight tone he replied, “Yes.”

Steve had cooked for Danny, for a date…

He’d never cooked for her… Grilling a steak down on the beach didn’t count. He had never actively cooked dinner for her for a date. They always went out somewhere. Granted it was always a really nice place, but he never cooked for her.

“Huh…”

Steve now turned around to stare at her, turning off the water on the way, “What?”

“You never cooked for me.” When he didn’t respond she continued on with both hands on her hips now, “You’re putting in more effort for him.”

“Your point?”

“I feel like I should be mad, but I’m not.”

He raised an eyebrow and folded both arms over his chest now, “And why not?”

She raised an answering eyebrow and smirked a bit, “Do you _want_ me to be mad?”

“Honestly? I’m feeling a bit petty, so yes.”

Her snorting giggle had him blinking and raising the other eyebrow now.

“I’m not mad because it’s my own fault.”

“What?”

“It’s my own fault. I left. You moved on. I have no reason to _be_ mad.” She grinned now and shook her head, “And I’m just so glad that it’s Danny.”

“I’m confused.” That much was obvious as confusion was written all over his face now.

She giggled now and moved to sit on the stool Danny had taken up residence on hours before, “You two are good for each other. He keeps you grounded. And you? Well you’re really good for him too.”

“How so?” He sounded intrigued now even as confusion was still on his face.

“Well you force him out of his comfort zone. And not just a little nudge here and there. But a full on shove to the ass with both feet while he’s kicking and screaming about it.” She grinned brightly now and leaned on the counter top, “He needs that in his life. And you do that while he keeps you from getting to big for your badge, Commander.”

Her words seemed to relax Steven now as she spoke, “So yes I came here to talk. But now I have an all new topic I want to talk about.” His raised brow and look of concern had her snickering now as she propped an elbow on the island and rested her chin on her palm, “So, tell me. How’d this come to happen?”

Steve huffed, rolled his eyes, and turned back to the sink. If he was gonna tell her about what lead to this, he was at least gonna do his damn dishes…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I was gonna have this end with her being hurt. But I love Catherine in the show too much to do that. (I also, might or might not like the idea of McDann with Catherine- but not in this story. It is STRICTLY McDanno).  
> So I found myself going this route instead. And besides, I'm pretty sure it would get handled in this manner if not a similar fashion. Yes, Catherine loves Steve, but she also understands Danny too.  
> So. Whatcha think?


	22. Damn it...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation through texts~  
>  (and pics ;P)

            It was while Steve was washing dishes that Danny found himself sitting in his living room less angry than he was when walking out of Steve’s house. It was also at this time that he realized, it wasn’t Steve’s fault. He wasn’t mad at Steve. Hell, he wasn’t even really mad at Catherine. Well… sort of. He was mad at her sure. For what she had done to Steve’s heart in the first place. For the way she had just up and left when Steve was ready to ask her to marry him.

But she left. And now it was Danny’s turn damn it!

It was as he was having his angry mental rant that he also realized Steve probably thought he was mad at him and probably hurt. Not to mention he hadn’t said a damn thing about dinner. Crap!

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Danny pulled up Steve’s number and opened a text message to him.

**_Hey, I forgot to say this when I left, dinner was wonderful~_ **

            Back at the McGarrett household Steve’s phone made noise from where it sat on the counter by the stove. It was Danny’s text alert. Pausing in his conversation with Catherine he pulled his hands from the sink and wiped them off before going to his phone.

A part of him was scared at what he would find. Was Danny changing his mind? Would the other not want to continue this anymore? If so he’d blame Catherine in a damn heartbeat.

However, his anxiety was washed away at the text he read there. A smile now on his face he replied back.

_I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m sorry dessert was cut out…_

            Danny was in his room and getting ready for bed when Steve’s text alert sounded- it was the Star Trek computer saying “Priority One message coming in on a secure channel.” He would never admit to his nerdlyness- not even under pain of torture.

Tossing his shirt into the hamper he grabbed his phone up off the bed and read the message. With a snort and a shrug- that clearly Steve couldn’t see, he replied again.

**_I enjoyed it very much. And there’s always next time. Or tomorrow morning~_ **

            Danny’s text came through as Steve was rinsing the last wine glass and finishing telling Catherine how things had led to tonight. “And then you showed up.” He did NOT hide his annoyance here as he set the wine glass to dry and wiped his hands dry.

For her part he saw her look of contrite regret as he grabbed his phone again and smiled at the text. So there would be a next time and Danny was coming back in the morning. Sure the night had ended crappily, but things would get better.

_I can always make breakfast for us? Pancakes or French Toast?_

            Danny stepped out of the bathroom and into his bedroom again when his phone sounded once more. Reading the text he grinned brightly.

**_Grace and I do pancakes on the weekends. It’s sort of a tradition._ **

He settled in on his bed and waited for Steve’s answer.

            Steve was moving into the living room- with Catherine following at a distance- when Danny’s next text came through. Grinning he flopped down on the couch, stretched across it (unintentionally- or not, he’d never say one way or the other- letting Catherine know she wasn’t allowed to sit there) and read the text.

_Pancakes it is. ;) Hey! Maybe bring Charlie too. Isn’t it your weekend with him anyway?_

He turned to look at Catherine as she sat in the recliner watching him, “So where are you staying anyway?”

Catherine raised an eyebrow now and cleared her throat before saying, “Is that my cue to leave, Steve?”

His answering head tilt and raised eyebrow were followed by, “Honestly, since I’m still feeling petty? Yes. You showed up unannounced, interrupted my date, and forced him to leave. That is very much your cue to leave, Catherine.”

He was sort of annoyed when Catherine didn’t even look upset. She gave a soft smile, a nod of her head, and stood up, “Fair enough. Tell Danny, I’m very sorry. And I really do hope you two are happy.”

He watched as she left the house before looking back at his phone to see if Danny had replied.

            He had. When Steve’s text had come through Danny had smiled and replied.

**_It is actually. I was just gonna have Rachel drop him off but I’ll probably grab him before I go pick up Grace._ **

After he sent that text he called up Rachel.

“Hey, I didn’t interrupt anything did I?” At least he had manners.

_“No, you’re fine. I thought you had a date?”_

“I did. It was rudely interrupted and I don’t feel like getting into it right now. I was actually calling about Charlie.”

_“You know I’ll just make you tell me about it later, right? And what about Charlie?”_

“Yeah, I figured. But not right now. And instead of dropping him off at Steve’s, I’ll swing by in the morning to get him before I go get Grace.”

He could almost hear the raised eyebrow when Rachel responded, _“Alright. What time?”_

“Well Steve wants to make breakfast, so a bit early. He’s more than welcome to sleep until I come get him, he doesn’t even have to get dressed. He can do that later at Uncle Steve’s.”

Rachel chuckled in his ear, _“Him and Grace having rooms at Steve’s is rather convenient isn’t it.”_

He didn’t miss her unspoken comment but he ignored that in favor of answering the voiced one, “Very much so.” Though that probably answered the other too…

_“Alright, then I’ll see you in the morning, Danny. Sorry your date didn’t go to plan. But I do expect you to tell me all about it.”_

“Yes, Rachel. I know. And I will. But I’m gonna head to bed now. I’ll call when I’m on the way to you in the morning. Good night.”

_“Alright. Good night Daniel.”_

When they hung up he looked at his phone to find that he had a reply from Steven.

            Danny’s text had come through and Steve grinned while replying.

_Can’t wait! It’s nice when I get all three of you at the same time~_

While Danny called Rachel, Steve now wandered up to his own room. Since his date was cut short and Danny was at his own home, Steve decided to get ready for bed.

He was coming out of the bathroom in a pair of sleep pants when he heard his text alert go off in his room.

A bright grin on his face he grabbed up the phone and settled into his bed finding that he had two texts from Danny.

            Steve’s text made Danny smile and he typed out his next reply.

**_Well I know that the kids love spending time with you._ **

**_And I know just how they feel._ **

Okay, so that sounded a bit cheesy but whatever. He grinned a bit when Steve answered a bit quicker than he expected.

            Reading those texts Steve felt his heart skip a beat as he smiled and lay back while he sent back a reply.

_I’m sorry things were cut short. Wish you were still here._

He sent a picture with the text, suddenly feeling as if he were a teenager again.

            Danny blinked when he saw he had an attachment to go with the text he’d just received. Opening the picture he felt a blush cross his cheeks and he didn’t know why. He’d seen Steve shirtless many, many times. The man seemed to have an affinity for stripping whenever the situation seemed to present itself- which for some reason it did a lot… And Steve had even set him a picture of himself on more than one occasion. Hell, his contact photo in Danny’s phone was one of Steve and Grace that Steve had taken when Grace was 12 and sent to Danny just because.

But this was a little different. Steve was in bed, shirtless, clearly relaxed. And Danny’s mouth was practically watering. So that picture was getting saved…

Grinning a bit, Danny snapped a picture of himself and sent it off with his reply.

**_Really wishing I hadn’t skipped out on dessert now._ **

            Steve grinned at his phone when he saw that he had a picture to go with the new text.

Opening it he felt his mouth go dry. The picture was of Danny laying back on his pillows without a shirt, hair looking slightly ruffled, and a lazy grin on his lips. The man looked relaxed and absolutely fuckable. More so than usual… And to think, he’d almost had that in his own bed…

With a groan he sent back a reply. No picture for now.

_You looking like that is enough to make a grown man cry._

            Danny blinked and stared at his phone for several moment before grinning darkly, and typing out his next reply.

**_I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about._ **

            Steve read the text that came in and snorted and shook his head.

_I’m quite sure you do, Daniel._

Danny continued to grin at his phone as he read Steve’s reply.

**_Looking like what, exactly? I’m just lying in bed. Ready to go sleep._ **

He snapped a second picture, this one gave a bit of a different angle and showed more of his upper body and sent it with a second text.

**_That’s all._ **

He hadn’t teased someone with pictures of himself like this in a long time. And admittedly, it felt nice knowing that Steve seemed affected by him.

            Reading those texts and seeing the following picture, Steve groaned aloud into the silence of his room and moved a hand down to his crotch to press hard on the growing erection there.

“You little fucking tease…”

_That’s just mean Danno._

_You can’t tease a man like that when you’re not in arms reach._

            Danny laughed when he got both texts and contemplated his next reply.

He snapped another 3 pictures and sent each one with its own text.

**_The way I see it, you have two options._ **

**_You can say good night and take care of whatever issue has arisen on your own._ **

**_Or you can come over and do something about it._ **

            Steve saw that he had another text with an attachment and mentally prepared himself for what was to come.

The first text and pic had him letting out another groan. It was a similar angle to the previous pic. The second was of the same angle only this time Danny’s hand rested on his stomach, just below his sternum. Again he groaned. He was harder than before and Danny was a horrible, horrible cock tease.

It was the third picture that had him practically whining. This one had the hand moved lower on his stomach with the pinky and ring finger dipped under the waistband of the sleep pants Danny was wearing.

“This man is gonna be the death of me…”

He opened his camera, flipped it around and snapped a picture to send to Danny.

_Not sure how well I’ll be able to drive with that…_

            When Danny got the picture he groaned out a laugh and licked his lips.

No the picture didn’t really show anything, but it was very obvious by the size of that bulge what lay hidden beneath that dark colored cloth.

He smirked as he took one last picture, this one from a different angle. He was now laying on his side with his hand now resting on his hip but the same two fingers just under the waistband of his pants. He sent this pic with the following texts.

**_Well Commander McGarrett, you have your options._ **

**_Whichever you decide on try not to wake people ;)_ **

**_For now I’m going to bid you good night and unless otherwise impeded I’m going to sleep._ **

**_Good night, Steven~_ **

            When Steve got the last picture and he read the text that went with it he groaned and his mouth went dry again. Seeing that picture and mentally being able to hear Danny say that almost had him ruining his sleep pants. As it was his cock twitched almost angrily and he REALLY wanted.

However, something told him to wait. Something told him to take this a little slow- maybe not as slow as it had taken him to finally ask Danny out. But something told him not to go over tonight. No matter how much he wanted to.

Waiting could make it even better the first time.

So for now he groaned and sent back a reply.

_Good night, Danno~_

“Damn it…”


	23. Needed to Fix That...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny picks up the kids and has the same conversation twice.

            Danny knocked on Rachel’s front door at 5:30 in the morning and was kind of surprised to find her already wide awake and dressed. Grinning a bit he shook his head and stepped inside when she stepped aside.

“He’s still in bed; you can wake him up after you tell me what happened, last night.”

Danny nodded and wandered into the kitchen to plop down in one of the kitchen chairs, “So the date itself went great.” He smiled at the memory and sighed a little.

“When I got there he had already made a pasta from scratch, and he’d just put steak in the oven.”

“Wait… Steve can cook?” Rachel was sitting across from him now with her hands wrapped around her mug of tea looking as shocked as Danny had been last night.

“Yeah, I was shocked too. But he’s an amazing cook.”

“That makes two of you.” She grinned now and he grinned back with a nod.

“He made a steak and mushroom alfredo- béchamel from scratch too.” He sighed a bit and ran his hands through his hair, “And everything was going great. He confessed that he was in love with me, made me dinner, and had even made dessert.”

“Oh~! What was for dessert?” Rachel seemed rather invested at this point.

“Wish I knew.” He looked up now to see her frown, “That’s when things went to shit.”

“What happened?”

“Catherine showed up.”

“What?!” He shushed her as Rachel got slightly loud and he glanced in the direction of Charlie’s room and waited a few moments while listening for the youngest Williams. When he didn’t appear to be awakened yet he turned back to Rachel and nodded.

“Yeah. She showed up and I left… But not before promising Steve that I’d be back.”

“What the hell did she want?”

Danny snickered at the way his ex-wife seemed mad on his behalf but shook his head, “I don’t know. I left. But it was clear in the way she was ignoring me that she wanted to be alone with Steve. So, yeah I left.” He grinned a little now and shrugged a shoulder, “But if the picture he sent later was anything to go on, she wasn’t there long.”

Rachel’s eyes went wide, “Picture? What? Back up, Daniel, explain!”

He cackled and shrugged again, “About half an hour after I left I realized Steve might think I was mad at him, and that I also hadn’t thanked him for dinner so I texted him to do just that.” He licked his lips and grinned, “And then about half an hour after that we were exchanging pictures.”

“Daniel!” She almost shrieked his name- and would have too if she hadn’t remembered their sleeping son right then.

He was snickering now as he leaned the chair back on two legs for a moment, “Nothing not safe for work. Just a few teasing pics. Or at least, teasing on my part.”

Danny watched for a moment as Rachel’s eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment and then he asked, “You’re imaging a dick pic aren’t you?”

When her eyes cleared up and went wide as she hid her face in her mug he snorted and snickered, “Close. But only just.”

Her eyes went even wider at that so he explained, “He called me a tease, I told him he had two options; he could take care of the issue on his own, or he could come over and do something about it. He then took a picture of a very impressive bulge covered in black sweats, and claimed that he might not be able to drive with it.” Her eyes were nearly the size of the cup she was drinking out of by this point.

“And I take it, but the fact that you’re here alone he stayed home?”

Danny snickered and shrugged a shoulder, “To be fair, I’d still have come to get Charlie alone if Steve had come over or not. We have plans to be at his this weekend so he’d be off to do his morning routine and I’d make the rounds to get the kids.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” She sighed into her mug as she finished her tea before hopping up to put it in the sink, “What time is Grace expecting you?”

“Technically she’s not. So I’m surprising her. But I wanted to be there around a quarter after six.”

They both looked at the clock as it ticked over to 5:55 and Rachel nodded, “Time to wake Charlie, then.”

Nodding Danny headed for his son’s room and pushed the door open to find Charlie practically face first in his pillow with one leg hanging off the bed and the rest of him sprawled across it. Snickering the blonde man shook his head and walked over to bend down and nuzzle at Charlie’s cheek and whisper gently, “Miiiiighty Moooouse, time to wake up~”

At Danny’s voice in his ear, Charlie stretched and let out a sleepy groan, “’D’no?”

Danny grinned and rubbed a hand over Charlie’s back, “Yeah Bud, it’s me. You wanna go to Uncle Steve’s?”

For all he was still mostly asleep Charlie’s excitement was still there, “Y’s!”

Danny laughed lightly and watched as Charlie sleepily tried to get up, “Wow there Bud, you don’t have to even get dressed. You can do that later.” So saying he scooped Charlie up in his arms and was rewarded with the youngest Williams settling on his hip easily and very nearly falling right back asleep on his shoulder.

            After Rachel got a very sleepy hug and a kiss from Charlie goodbye he bundled the little one into his booster seat and wasn’t at all surprised when his son was out cold in a matter of minutes.

So snickering to himself he started the car, waved in departure to Rachel and made his way to Kono and Adam’s place.

            He arrived there at exactly when he wanted to and left the car running as he made his way up the walk to the front door.

He was greeted by a very tired looking Kono with a raised brow and a grin, “Morning, Sunshine. I’ve come to retrieve my daughter.”

The dark haired woman rubbed her eyes and made a noncommittal noise before remarking, “You’re awfully perky for a man who hates mornings.”

He snickered and stepped back to get a clear look at his car, seeing Charlie still out cold he grinned and turned back just as Kono stuck her head back out the door, “Wait… I thought I was bringing Grace to you?”

She asked this just as Grace ambled sleepily up to her side with Adam not far behind her looking slightly more awake than both females.

“You were, but there was a change of plans.”

Grace was a little more alert now as she squawked, “We’re still going to Uncle Steve’s, right?”

He reached out and ran a hand over her hair in reassurance and suppressed a snicker as she practically leaned into his touch, “Of course we are. That’s why I’m here. It’s just that last night did not go according to plan. That’s all.”

All three at the door frowned at him now as Kono asked, “What happened?”

“We got an uninvited guest.”

Adam now, still frowning, “That can’t be good.”

“Well I know they didn’t stay, but then again neither did I…”

Grace frowned deeper and rubbed her eyes, “Okay, you can tell me later. I’m not awake enough for this.”

Danny nodded, “Charlie’s asleep in the back seat, I’m thinking you two can go back to bed once we get to Uncle Steve’s, yeah?” He watched with a grin as she nodded, yawned, hugged Kono and Adam, and then made her way to join her brother in the car. It amused him greatly when she even crawled into the back seat with Charlie.

He turned back to Kono and Adam knowing full well they wouldn’t let him leave without an explanation. Sure enough both were looking at him rather expectantly.

“So Steve cooked dinner, it was wonderful. But before we got to dessert- like he actually made dessert too- we were interrupted.”

Both stared at him and it was Adam that asked, “By who? What moron could possibly think it was a good idea to interrupt a date years in the making?”

Kono snickered sleepily and leaned back into her husband while waiting expectantly for Danny’s answer.

“Catherine.”

Both sets of eyes went wide as both exclaimed, “WHAT?!”

“Yeah. She popped up just as we finished dinner and he was getting ready to serve dessert. It was clear she wanted to be alone with him, so I left. And like I told Rachel, from the picture I got a bit later, it was clear she hadn’t stayed too terribly long.” He then proceeded to give them a shorter version of his conversation with Rachel- leaving out the almost dick pic for Adam’s benefit, and ending with a shrug, “Either way, Grace still gets her weekend, and I get Steve.”

It was as he was moving to head back to the car and his sleeping children when Adam stopped him, “Wait a sec. Steve confessed… Did you?”

This stopped Danny in his tracks as he thought back over the entire night’s event. “Huh… You know, I don’t think I actually did…”

He really needed to fix that.


	24. All In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gets a bit more emotional than he'd intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit hard for me to write, not because I didn't want to, but because I myself cried several times in the process of its creation.  
> So Danny wasn't the only emotional one. ^_^

 

            Danny pulled up to Steve’s house about twenty minutes later- both kids still asleep in the back seat- and shut off the engine. Turning around he places a hand on Grace’s knee and shakes her leg slightly, “Grace, we’re hear.” When she made a noise of acknowledgement and began to move he opened his door and got out

Five minutes later saw the Williams Trio at the front door, Charlie settled sleepily on his sister’s hip while she nuzzled at his hair in the same sleepy fashion, and Danny unlocking the door. Once they were inside he reset the code, locked the door, and motioned for Grace to go ahead and put her brother to bed.

When he was sure the two were settled he wandered into the kitchen where he could smell the coffee that signified Steve was already up. As he heard no shower running or other movement other than Grace flopping to her bed, he figured Steve was out in the water. So fixing himself a cup of coffee he wandered out to the lanai and settled into the chair he’d claimed as his own.

Being a private stretch of beach it wasn’t hard to spot the dark head among the waves. Danny watched as Steve swam and found himself thinking back to a time when he practically lived in the water himself. Every summer his family would go to the beach and he’d be out in the surf every morning. It pained him at times to think back and remember the day he lost his best friend. To know that was what kept him out of the water so often caused him a bit of heartache whenever he thought about it.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Steve was out of the water until the man was literally standing front of him, “Welcome back to Planet Earth.”

Danny blinked up at the taller man with a lazy grin, “Hi. So apparently I missed whatever it was you said?”

Steve smirked a bit as he leaned over and grabbed the towel that hung on the back of the chair Danny was sitting in, “I said good morning and I asked if the kids were with you.”

Danny was happily distracted by the wall of abs that now hovered over him- yes he got dripped on, but he’d live. He wasn’t made of sugar after all. “Yeah, they’re here. Both in bed. Neither is functional before noon on a Saturday.”

Steve was stood back now and ran the towel through his hair and gave Danny a grin, “They sound a bit like their father.”

Danny gave Steve a mock glare over his coffee cup as he took a sip before remarking, “I’m sorry that some of us prefer sleeping in on the weekends instead of being athletic adrenaline junkies.”

Steve was still grinning as he draped the towel over his shoulders and cocked a head to the side, “I’m actually kind of surprised you didn’t crash on the couch yourself.”

Danny smirked before taking a sip of his coffee and replying, “And miss the show?” He let his eyes rake over Steve’s half naked form quite obviously from head to toe and back up, “Not likely.” He licked his lips and took another sip of his coffee, grinning into the cup as he watched a flush creep up Steve’s chest and move quickly all the way to the tips of his ears. He liked knowing that he had that kind of effect on Steve. It was a fun power to hold.

“Do you delight in teasing people?”

Danny raised an eyebrow at that comment, “Me? You’re the one that feels the need to take your shirt off at every available moment.” He set his coffee cup down on the small table between the chairs and then looked back at Steve, “And no. Not ‘people’, just you.” He smirked now as he relaxed happily in his chair, looking up at the man he was very much in love with.

He should probably tell him that.

Hmm… Where to start?

“So… I wanna talk you.”

When Steve gave him an odd look he smiled and continued on, “It’s about last night.” Now Steve’s face went kind of white and Danny shook his head, smile on his face, “Not that part.”

He took a deep breath and smiled, “Remember when you confessed that you loved me? I realized that I never actually said it back.” Steve cocked his head to the side now, “Sure, I reassured you, and I even kissed you- though I know you’re not gonna qualify it as a real kiss as it didn’t lead to anything. But it did. It led to dinner and a wonderful evening.” He smiled when Steve blushed lightly again. “And yet, I did not say it back. But that was mostly due to distraction.”

He tilted his head to the side and smiled, closing his eyes slowly before taking a slow deep breath. “I’ve had a while to think about this… Roughly a month.” He grinned there but kept his eyes closed and continued to talk, “I realized pretty much the same thing you did. That I was in Love with you. When I figured it out I was standing at the highest point of the H1, I’d pulled over up there and just stood there. It was a damn good view. Not nearly as good as Diamond Head, but close.”

Danny was still smiling as he recalled that moment, “I remember thinking how you’d almost given me a heart attack. I was thinking how you’d scared me. You just…” He was frowning now and his brow furrowed as the memory of the feeling came back to him- the image of Steve stepping into the line of fire followed by that near crippling fear, “You stepped out from cover and didn’t even stop as bullets flew around you. I remember thinking in that moment, ‘what if someone got lucky?’ and everything in my gut just… it twisted in knots…”

He didn’t realize there were tears on his cheeks until he felt Steve’s hand there, thumb wiping them away. He opened watery blue eyes and looked up at the SEAL, “Steve, I live in fear every day not for me. But for you. I live in fear not knowing if this case is going to be the one that takes you away from me because of the things that you do. The stunts you pull scare the shit out of me Steve.” Steve was kneeling in front of him now, both hands cupping Danny’s cheek, thumbs wiping away stray tears as they fall, and his face morphed into a look of pained concern, “I yell at you not because I think you’re an idiot, but because I get scared…”

He lifted his own hands to wrap his fingers around Steve’s wrists, one finger landing on the pulse points in each wrist, and he leans into Steve’s hands, “And I know that you’re more than capable of handling yourself. But I also know that people are unpredictable. I know that even when you have everything calculated down the last move, things can immediately go wrong. Nothing and no-one is perfect. You included…”

Danny realized after a few moments of breathing to get his emotions in control- with Steve looking at him in mild fear and concern that he was sort of off track here. He was supposed to be telling the man that he loved him. Not that he scared him. Though if he was being honest, that scared him too. So he’d run with that. “In the last month, I realized that I was in Love with you. I realized that I was in love with you from the moment I punched you in your smug, pretty face.” This startled a laugh out of Steve and he couldn’t help the watery laugh himself. “I might have possibly been head over heels for you right then. Hell I know I at least wanted to fuck you- or be fucked by you- the moment you pulled your gun on me back in that garage.” He half motioned back in the direction of the house with his head.

He huffed a soft laugh as he watched Steve blush again and a shaky smile came over his lips, “And not only do the things you do scare me, but to be honest, so does being in Love with you.” At Steve’s new look of confusion and fear he was quick to say, “Not because it’s you. But because it means I’m allowing myself to be open to getting hurt again. You have to remember, I thought she was It for me. I promised I’d only marry once in my life and I wouldn’t get divorced. And then she left me. Steve it broke me, for a long time. And I swore that I’d not let myself fall in love again.”

Steve had moved his hands to the side of Danny’s neck now and was nearly cradling Danny’s skull in the palms of his hands, his touch gentle and soothing as Danny spoke, “Then I found you in the garage, and you hijacked my case, then you hijacked me, and got me shot.” Steve was blushing a bit again, but his grin was a little goofy, and Danny continued, “And I knew my life was never gonna be the same. Steve, I figured out a month ago that I was in Love with you. With a capital ‘L’. The night I figured it out, Rachel _and_ Kono made me admit to it. It wasn’t until yesterday when Grace bombarded me in the kitchen while I was making pancakes, that I promised her and myself that I’d say something to you.”

Steve blinked here, his grin brightened a bit more but he still kept quiet, “I came to your house yesterday morning to talk to you and found you on the phone- with my mother of all people; and don’t think for one second I don’t want to know about _that_ conversation- and you kind of looked about like you wanted to hide in a hole. Then we got the case. And then in the middle of a car chase, you asked me out.” He let out a little giggle now and shook his head, “In true Steve McGarrett style, horrible timing and everything, you asked me out.”

It was here that Steve finally spoke, “And you said yes.”

“Damn right I did.” He gave Steve a grin to match the one the SEAL was once again wearing, “Because I knew that even if the situation had been different, it wouldn’t have been right. It wouldn’t have been ‘us’. Because we don’t do things by halves, Steve. And in that moment I knew you were all in. And damn it, so was I.”

He licked his lips and the smile on his face was bright as he finally said it right, “Steven Jack McGarrett, I Love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY HE SAID IT~!  
> Okay, so I'm taking suggestions for the next two or three chapters- depending on how I want to do it.  
> We can do Fluff leading to Smutt THEN domestic family stuff.  
> Or we can do domestic family stuff, fluff, then smutt.  
> Tell me what y'all want. I'm gonna do all of the above anyway, but I just want some opinions on how it should maybe go.
> 
> Xoxo  
> CMR


	25. He's a Goner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny has an active imagination. Too bad they don't get a chance to explore that. Yet...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I informed one of you this would be up within a few hours of when I answered you, but I got distracted by having to go to work. >_<  
> However, here it is, a fw days later than I'd planned, but here it is none the less~

            Danny watched as Steve’s face seemed to light up when he was told that Danny loved him. And the next thing he knew Steve’s lips were crushing his own and he didn’t even hesitate as he found himself kissing Steve back.

No, it wasn’t their first kiss- even if Steve probably didn’t count the one from last night. And it sure didn’t feel like a first kiss.

Fuck no. It was better. There were no fireworks. No earth shattering moment. It was way better. It was the world turning right side up. Puzzle pieces slotting into their proper places. Warmth sliding down your chest from that first perfect sip of coffee. Yeah. It was so much better.

When Steve pulled back from the kiss Danny almost whimpered and would have chased Steve’s lips if it weren’t for the SEAL still holding his head in place. He blinked open his eyes and saw the smile on Steve’s face and knew his own mirrored that. Steve clearly felt the same way he did about that kiss.

“I’m pretty sure kissing you is my new addiction.”

Steve’s smile turned to a grin at Danny’s words now, “I bet I can find other things to have you addicted to…”

Danny licked his lips, and raised an eyebrow, “Is that right?”

Steve was smirking now as he pulled away from Danny and stood up- not missing the way the Detective’s eyes roamed over his naked torso and back up to his face, “That’s right~”

 Danny licked his lips as he stood up, his eyes once again roaming over Steve’s body unashamedly, “Since I’m quite sure you’re not going to tell me, I’ll just wait for you to prove it.” He then smirked slightly as he took the opportunity to stretch himself, letting his back arch perfectly while a dirty moan left his chest and throat.

As Danny turned away from Steve a few moments later he got a lovely bit of satisfaction in seeing the very clearly aroused expression on the man’s face. Oh this weekend was gonna be fun~

Without waiting for Steve Danny wandered his way back into the house and stepped into the kitchen. As he poured himself a second cup of coffee and one for Steve too the Detective found himself pressed into the counter with a six foot something- still slightly wet SEAL plastered against his back.

“Oh, well hello there.”

Steve was ginning into his neck now, “Hi.” The taller man pressed soft kisses against the sensitive spot just behind Danny’s ear and followed with light nips to the skin as well, causing Danny to shiver and let out a tiny noise of delight.

“Steve, my children are upstairs, and I’m not a quiet person.” His voice sounded slightly ragged, even to his own ears as he spoke and he could once again feel Steve grinning against his neck as the bigger man’s hands went from where he had bracketed Danny against the counter to the smaller man’s hips, holding him in place as he ground a now obvious erection against Danny’s ass.

“Then I’ll just have to find a way to gag you.”

The images that now played through Danny’s head at the different ways Steve could gag him caused the cop to whimper slightly. Forefront of his mind was of him on his knees while Steve fucked his throat. And if it was as big as it felt against his ass, then that was going to be one effective as hell gag.

“Oh really?” His tone was all bravado, but his body was totally for it.

“Yes, really. And I’ve already got a couple things in mind…”

And Danny would have asked if it weren’t for the small voice coming from behind them.

“Danno, I’m hungry.”

Both men turn to see Charlie standing in the doorway of the kitchen, bare foot, clad in his astronaut pajamas, and rubbing at one eye with one hand while the other scratched at his tummy. It’s enough to kill both erections but have Danny grinning as he moves to gather his son up in his arms and nuzzle at the little blonde’s cheek, “You’re always hungry, Kiddo.”

As Steve watched Danny with the now giggling Charlie, he couldn’t help the feeling of warmth that spread through him. Charlie giggled as he clung to his dad and hugged the man tightly, and Danny blew a raspberry into the smaller Williams’ cheek causing the giggling to get a little louder. Yeah, he may have been ready to have his wicked way with Danny, and sure Charlie had interrupted that. But there was no way in hell he’d be angry about that.

Especially not when watching Danny with his kids had just as much effect on him as Danny on his own did. There was nothing about Danny that didn’t do it for him.

Oh yeah… He was a goner…


	26. Do I Smell Pancakes?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some morning fun and breakfast making.  
> \+ a glimpes into the future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ THIS BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER!!!
> 
> You guys are REALLY gonna love this one. I feel it.  
> It took so long to get this chapter up because I had to flesh it out to make it flow the way I wanted it to.  
> Also, I've been working two other McDanno pieces that I want to get posted once this one is finished. One is being worked out in texts while the other is being worked out in a notepad on my phone. >_<
> 
> But this chapter is my pride and joy of this piece. And trust me, this story is in no way finished. I've got several chapters in mind for it still.

            It was about an hour later, Steve is manning the griddle with Danny making scratch made orange juice by the sink, and Charlie sitting on the counter between them when Grace trudges into the kitchen with her head cocked to the side, eyes still heavy with sleep, and her hair kind of a bigger mess than it was earlier that morning.

The sight that greets her will forever be one of her favorite memories. Charlie is giggling as Uncle Steve leans in and pretends to nibble on Charlie’s arm. The little blonde squeals and giggles calling for Danno to help him. At the ‘cry’ for help her dad grins, wipes his hands off on the towel draped over his shoulder and walks over to Charlie and Steve.

“See, I dunno Charlie,” Danno is in Charlie’s space now, “I kind of think Uncle Steve’s got the right idea.” Grace watches now as her little brother’s eyes go very wide when he realizes he might be outnumbered. “I mean, true, I’m partial to baby back ribs myself-“ Charlie lets out a squeal of laughter as Danno tickles him along his sides, “but wings are pretty good too.”

Danno’s leaning in to ‘chomp on his share of wings’ when Charlie spots Grace and manages to giggle, wiggle, and squirm his way down to the floor and run to his sister.

“Grace, save me!” He hides behind her, fingers curling into the hem of his shirt and he’s breathing heavily, giggling as he peeks around her side, “They’re trying to eat me Gracie!”

Grace grins sleepily and looks up just as both men turn their attention to her, identical grins on their faces. “Don’t worry, Charlie. I’ll always protect you.” At her words she shifts to allow Charlie to climb up onto her back and they both watch as the grins on Uncle Steve and Danno’s faces take on a slightly more ‘menacing’ quality.

When they advance on her and Charlie her own eyes go wide and Charlie breathes a giggle in her ear, “Uh-oh.”

Grace takes a few careful steps back and manages to make it into the living room without taking her eyes off both men. “Charlie, I think we _might_ have a problem.”

“No Gracie! You can take ‘em!” Her brother’s declaration has her laughing breathlessly.

“As honored as I am that you have such faith in my abilities, Charlie, I think we’re vastly outnumbered.” Danno’s grin becomes playfully feral matching Uncle Steve’s once again and she wonders if this is how perps feel when they have her Danno and Uncle after them.

“Sorry, Charlie. We gotta surrender.”

His giggling and defeated “NO!” is then muffled as they find themselves tackled to the couch by both men.

_It will be years later when her oldest walks into the kitchen to see their father manning their own griddle while she squeezes fresh orange juice and their younger sibling is sitting on the counter between them being teased and tickled by both parents before asking their older sibling for help when this memory will flood back to her._

_Everything about her family will shape who Grace Williams becomes later in her life and she will forever be grateful for this one moment in time._

_She’ll call her Dads later that night and tell them all about her day, listening then happily as Danno will gripe about how her Father caused one heart attack after another in just the span of a few hours and she’ll happily remind her Danno how much he loves Dad and listen happily still as he waxes poetic about the love of his life._

_She’ll end that phone call after Danny thanks her for the call and then- not for the first time- thanks her for pushing him to talk to Steve that day so long ago._

_Grace’ll tell him that she loves him and ask him to give Dad a big hug for her before hanging up her phone to go put her youngest to bed while her oldest finishes their homework at the kitchen table._

_She’ll take over bed time duties from her husband who now is wearing a soaked shirt and pants from where bath time took a crazy turn. In a matter of ten minutes she’ll have their youngest in clean pajamas, and settled in while she reads them a favored bed time story. The ease with which she handles bed time will apparently forever amaze her husband no matter how many children they have and she’ll attribute it to her Danno._

_Grace will run her hand gently over the frizzy curls of her sleeping daughter as she puts the book on the bedside table before tucking her in properly. She’ll then go help with Math homework before she hears her husband’s phone ring and his terse answer telling her it’s time to go to work._

_“This is Detective Grover…”_

_Her phone will ring a half moment later and her oldest will look up at her with a raised brow before she answers, “Commander Williams…”_

_Everything about her family shapes Grace’s life. Her Dad is why she joins the Navy and fights to become one of the very few female SEALs in existence and Danno is why she takes the job as head of Five-0 when it comes up that the position is open on her last leave._

_Her parents protect her and their home. And she will vow to do the same the rest of her life._

_“Yeah Kelly. We’re on the way.” Will will be walking into the kitchen as she hangs up with Malia Kelly and he’ll tell their oldest to lock up behind them and keep an ear out for their sister._

_Their oldest will promise to protect his sister and finish his homework as his parents head to work… He won’t know it just yet, but he’s just like his mother- which means he’s just like his Grand-Dad and Grandpa- his family will forever shape his life. Steven Daniel Grover will carry on where his mother will one day leave off._

_Just like she will when she grows up…_

“Hey… do I smell pancakes?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -breathes out heavily- Okay. What did you think?


	27. Nahele is Home~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what it says on the can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized not too long ago that I almost forgot about Nahele and so I decided to bring him in to this.  
> He is family too after all.

            Grace is sitting at the dining room table at her Uncle Steve’s doing a bit of math homework when she hears a knock at the front door followed a few minutes later by a male voice calling out, “Steve?”

She answers on instinct, “He’s out back with Danno, ‘Hele!” She then looks up as the older teen walks into the room where she is with a bag slung over his shoulder. In the years since Nahele first stole the Marquis, Grace has come to regard the other as a kind of Brother/Cousin figure. And he’s around often enough that she never understood why Steve just didn’t adopt the boy already. But as the other is now of legal age it’s kind of a moot point anyway…

Or so she thinks.

“Cool, them being out back means grilled meat.”

She looks up at him again with a raised brow and snorts, “You are always eating something.”

“According to your Danno, I’m a growing boy and it isn’t my fault.”

She snickers now and returns to her homework while saying, “According to science you won’t be done growing until you’re at _least_ 25.”

She can feel him staring at her and she keeps her focus on the algebra problem she’s working on, even as he swears and plops down onto the chair across from her. “What about you?”

She looks up at him and answers smugly, “I’ll be done at 18.”

“Damn it!” He swears and she has to snicker. Both at him, and at the fact that they’re legitimately having this conversation and she’s smug over growth spurts and stopping. Her family is so weird.

“So what brings you over, ‘Hele?”

She looks up again to see him blush a bit and pull the bag he’d been carrying a bit closer to him on the table, “Wanted to see Steve.”

Grace gives him a smile and a nod, “Okay. Well they’ve been out there a bit, so dinner might be ready soon.”

As if in agreement with her Danny steps into the dining room carrying a large wooden bowl, “Hey there Nahele. Good to see you again.” Grace can hear in Danny’s voice that something is up. But in a good way if that tone is anything to go by.

Nahele grins up at the older man, “Hey Danno. Grace told me you guys were out back. That usually means grilled meat at this time of day.”

Now Grace did not by any means miss the way that Nahele called her Danno by her nickname. And normally that might have upset her. But her rational brain told her this. _[You see Nahele is a sibling. Charlie is your sibling. You told Charlie to call him_ Danno _. If Charlie is your sibling and you let him call your Danno ‘Danno’, and you view Nahele as a sibling too, then by all rights he is allowed to call him ‘Danno’ too.]_

And of course her brain was right. So why did that set off an alarm in her head? But why was that alarm not a bad one? What in the world was going on?

As she was thinking all of this Danny grinned at the teen, “You have rather an astute grasp of things there. Yes, there is grilled meat. Steak actually, and yes, I even made sure to add one for you.” He seemed to think for a moment before adding, “Actually, I added two. You seem to eat a lot.”

Grace snickered now and Nahele gave her a mock evil glare while Danny set the salad bowl on the table. “Alright Grace, clear up the homework for now and help ‘Hele set the table. Steve’ll be in with the steaks in a few minutes.”

Grace did as she was told and between her and Nahele the table was set in less than five minutes. When they were done Charlie ran in with a purposefully plastic bowl in his hands filled with mashed potatoes which he held up for Grace, “Danno let me carry this by myself!”

The fact that he sounded so proud of himself caused her to grin and ruffle his hair as she pulled the bowl from his hands to place it on the table, “That’s awesome, Charlie. Is there anything else that needs to go up here?” All she got in answer was him running off with a giggle in the direction of the kitchen while Nahele looked at her with an amused grin, “Apparently.”

Sure enough a few minutes later Charlie came back in with a wooden bowl that looked to be holding a tea towel which he handed to Nahele. Turns out it was holding warm bread rolls. A fact which she found out while she inspected it after Nahele placed it on the table seconds before Charlie tackled the other’s teen’s legs once realizing it was in fact Nahele and that his ‘big brother’ was staying for dinner.

A few minutes after that, while Nahele stood with Charlie on his hip- the six year old babbling about his day, and Grace texting Will, Steve came in with a plate stacked with perfectly cooked steaks. He saw Nahele and his grin got bright, “Hey, Danny said you were here.”

After Steve deposited the plate onto the table Nahele gave him a one armed hug, keeping Charlie in place on his hip, “Yeah. I wanted to come by tonight. Figured you wouldn’t mind since I’m over here often enough anyway. I brought a bag with me, is it cool if I spend the night?”

Steve seemed a little surprised by the question but grinned happily all the same, “Sure. The spare room is actually finally finished and ready for a person to occupy it so it’s all yours.”

And Grace was pretty sure that there was much more to that statement than Nahele realized. Or maybe he did. Especially if the look on his face said anything at all.

“Awesome.”

As if sensing a need for emotional defusement, Danny stepped into the room with flat ware for the potatoes, steaks, and salad in hand and a smile on his face, “Yes. Awesome. Now, dinner time. Let’s eat before it all gets cold.”

Charlie pipes up then from his spot on Nahele’s hip, “I’m hungry Danno.”

Grace snickers as Danno replies, “You’re always hungry.”

And just like that her family was all in one happy place. But she still felt like something was about to happen…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter and the next one I had to really work on because I wanted them to flow right so this is why it took me so long to get them up. But they happen in the same day as 'Do I smell pancakes?'  
> Also he's been a background player in the DetectiveSEAL plan. Grace has been keeping him in the loop but he's just not made an appearance until now. ^_^


	28. Williams-McGarrett

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something big happens for the McDanno clan~

            Dinner was finished and Nahele was looking around at the people sitting with him. Grace was laughing at Charlie who was telling them a story about his field trip to the aquarium that day- which he’d already told them (well he’d told Nahele) when Nahele had been holding him earlier- but he was six. He could repeat himself for hours and never get tired of it. Steve and Danny were watching and listening to Charlie with such rapt attention that if Nahele didn’t know any better he’d think they had never heard the story before.

These four people were a few of the people that he called Ohana. And how had he missed that Danny and Steve had finally become DannyandSteve? He’d ask Grace about that later. To be fair though, he was sure it was a recent development. Still. He’d ask later.

But he’d been talking and working with Danny on a surprise for Steve for a few weeks now and he really should have noticed that Danny and Steve were an official couple…

Nahele came back to himself after a moment to Danny telling him to help him clear the table. Nodding he got up, grabbed his and Grace’s plates and headed to the kitchen with Danny behind him carrying his own and Charlie’s plates.

“So, I’m gonna have Grace and Charlie help me with dessert prep, that should give you an opening to talk to Steve.” Nahele nodded at Danny as they put the plates in the sink. Nahele could feel himself getting nervous now. But he was determined.

They finished clearing the table, they put whatever was left of dinner away quickly and Nahele sent Grace and Charlie to the kitchen, “Hey, Danno wants you and Charlie to help him with dessert.”

The word ‘dessert’ set Charlie running almost immediately. Grace snorted and shook her head as she got up to follow her brother, “He’s such a spaz.”

Nahele couldn’t help it as he grinned, “He’s related to you.” That got him a tongue stuck out at him and a mock glare as he moved back to his seat.

Steve was about to speak when Nahele decided to stop him before he lost his nerve.

“I want to talk to you.”

Steve looked a little taken aback but nodded, his face moving into a neutral mask as Nahele continued on, “It’s nothing bad, I swear. But it is important.” When Steve nodded again Nahele cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“I know I’m already of legal adult age and that I can theoretically do what I want. I have a job, I’m graduating soon, and I’m going off to college not long after that. I’m an adult in the eyes of the law.” He could tell Steve was really confused by this discussion so far so he needed to move this along.

Reaching under his chair he opened his bag and pulled out a large nondescript legal sized manila envelope. He pushed it across the table to Steve and licked his lips, “Open it.” He then sat back, folded his hands in his lap and waited as Steve stared at the envelope for a few minutes.

Past Steve’s shoulder stood Grace now, she was apparently not helping with dessert, but was instead staring at them through the screen of a cell phone. Danny had her recording them. Nahele grinned nervously at the camera before turning his attention back to Steve who was now looking at the paperwork he’d pulled from the folder.

“Nahele?”

“Yes?”

“What is this?” He sounded a little wrecked at the moment.

“Adoption papers.”

“But I…You’re…”

“Adult adoption papers.”

When Steve looked up at him now Nahele could see the tears standing out in grey green eyes. He smiled at the older man, “But they’re not just for you.” He timed this just as Danny stepped into the room with Charlie right behind him, “They’re for Danny too.”

“What?” Danny sounded a bit shell shocked and Grace sounded like she couldn’t suppress the giggle as she moved to be able to capture both men in the camera’s view.

“When I asked you for help doing all of this, it was so that I had access to the legal side of things. Sure I could have asked Kono or Chin, but the two of them would have gotten too excited and would have had a hard time keeping the secret.” Nahele grinned a little here, “Asking you to help meant you would keep the surprise from Steve and have no idea at all that I’ve even consider asking you too.”

He got up from his seat and walked over to Danny to take the cherry cobbler out of his hands and placed it on the table while Charlie obliviously moved to his seat and put the dessert plates on the table as well.

Nahele then turned back to Danny and Steve, “I realized not too long ago that the two of you have been more family to me than anyone I’ve ever known. And I want that to be legal before I leave for college.” He pointed at the papers still in Steve’s hands, “And that’s what those will do.”

He smiled now as he shrugged a shoulder, “They’re all filled out for the most part. All you really have to do is fill in the legal stuff that I didn’t know and sign them. And we can file them with the state when they’re done.”

Nahele smirked a little as Grace had moved and tapped Steve’s hand silently with a pen she’d apparently pulled from her backpack. He watched as Steve’s hand moved to take the pen but his face turned up to look at Danny.

The teen now looked at Danny too and saw that he was just as emotional as Steve was now and Nahele knew he’d done good. This was proven then by him finding himself wrapped tightly in a hug from Danny, “Thank you.”

Nahele smiled into Danny’s shoulder, “No. Thank _you_.”

Before dessert was over, Nahele watched as he officially became the son of a one Steve J. McGarrett and a one Daniel Williams. (Well it would be official by end of day tomorrow, according to Danny.) And his life couldn’t be any better…

“Shit…” All eyes looked over at him as soon as he swore.

“Williams-McGarrett? Or McGarrett-Williams?”

He watched for a minute as both men’s eyes went a bit wide and Grace let out an ugly snort and giggle.

“What?”

“You… You wanna change your last name too?” Danny seemed a bit concerned here so Nahele looked at him pointedly and nods.

“Well yeah.” Sure he sounded like it was the most obvious decision in the world, but the adults had to make sure.

“Are you sure?” This from Steve.

“I really am. I just don’t know which one it should be.”

“Well… are you sure you want to hyphenate? I mean, why not just go by one?”

Nahele cocked his head to the side, raised an eyebrow and asked, “Would you?”

Before Danny could answer- and he looked a bit shocked at being asked that, Grace piped up, “Legally I’d hyphenate, but only go by one.”

He looked at her now as she continued on, “I’d go with Williams-McGarrett, adding McGarrett to the end as I’m already a Williams, but I’d just go by Williams since I already am one.”

This was the point at which Steve looked around the table and then looked at Nahele with pleading eyes, “Go by McGarrett please? I’m already very much outnumbered here.”

Both teens laughed at Steve while Danny gave him an amused look that kind of spoke volumes to Nahele.

“But you still have to pick which amalgamation of the names you want to use since by birth you are neither.”

He looked back at Grace now and nodded on a huff, “Hence my current predicament.”

Danny was looking at the elder teen now, “Go with McGarrett-Williams.”

“But Williams-McGarrett sounds better, Danny.”

Nahele watched as Danny looked at Steve with a soft smile now and nods, “Yeah… it does doesn’t it?”

The teen let them have their moment for a few before clearing his throat and nodding, “That settles it then. I am now and forever Nahele Williams-McGarrett.”

**_NOW_** his life couldn’t get any better…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes. Adult adoption papers are real. I found out about that because my sister- who is my step-sister- went looking into it so that she could officially become my dad's legal daughter.  
> She is 22 now so he couldn't file normal adoption papers so she did some research until she found the adult adoption paperwork. It actually circumvents her having to have her bioligical father's permission for my dad to adopt her as she is an adult over the age of 17. Isn't the law just awesome~?  
> She got the paperwork together and once it's filed my step-sister will officially be my sister in all aspects of the word. Not just by heart alone. ^_^


	29. What's The Plan...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve goes missing and Danny panics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys, I've been having a hell of a time this year. Since the last chapter I've had to help my sister move and started getting ready for that very same process myself. Needless to say, I've been a busy little bee.  
> I've got this chapter up and I'm finishing the next one so I should have it up soon-ish.  
> Hope you all enjoy it~

            So the day started pretty normal. Danny woke up to his phone ringing, Steve calling to apologize and let him know he was on the way to a crime scene and Danny needed to meet him there and that he’d explain everything when they met up. So a normal start. But that normal went out the window after lunch.

“Danny, you need to breathe. Take deep breaths and get yourself under control. We’ll get him back.”

The case they caught that morning was sent their way because it was a dead Navy man that turned out to be an old friend and team member of Steve’s. After digging into the man’s death it was found out he wasn’t the first of Steve’s old team to be found dead under similar circumstances.

A call to Joe White after finding that out told the team that someone was targeting the SEAL team with a vengeance. And it had something to do with a classified job they were all a part of where an innocent and high ranking family was being held against their will. Steve explained that the only surviving member of the family had been a little girl that had been hiding when the family was taken. According to Joe White it appeared that that little girl wasn’t so little anymore and she was now out for blood because she blamed the SEAL team for her family’s deaths.

It was now after lunch time and Steve was missing. He’d made a lunch run while Danny had gone to pick Charlie up for a doctor’s appointment. Danny had taken Charlie to his appointment, dropped him off with Rachel pulled into the parking lot down the way from where he saw the Silverado parked. His stomach now rumbled in anticipation of the shrimp pasta he knew would be waiting for him.

However when he got upstairs Steve was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Steve?”

Kono looked up from the computer table with a raised brow, “He left with you.”

“Yeah, but I had to take Charlie to a doctor’s appointment. He said lunch would be here when I got back.”

“He hasn’t come back yet.” Chin and Lou were now standing with Kono looking at Danny in confusion.

“His truck is in the lot.” Danny pointed with a thumb over his shoulder as he looked back at the trio.

Chin raised an eyebrow now and pulled his phone from his pocket. A few minutes later he shook his head, “No answer.”

Danny frowned now and pulled his own phone out, hitting the green button beside Steve’s name and putting the phone to his ear. When it went to voicemail after several rings a feeling settled low in his gut. A feeling he didn’t like at all.

A few moments later he was in the parking lot and standing beside Steve’s truck. Apparently there had been a fight of sorts. The team’s lunch was spread across the ground, the truck stood wide open, and the keys were sitting on the driver’s seat.

Danny was about to try calling again when his own phone vibrated in his hand. It was Steve’s face on the caller ID.

He answered in less than two seconds flat, “Steve!”

“Hello, Detective.” The voice in his ear was feminine and heavily accented, “I’m sure by now you’ve realized your precious Commander is missing. I have him…”

“Katina.”

“Got it in one Detective. I’m impressed.” The voice had that dangerous tone Danny didn’t like, “But I figured you’d be the smart one.”

“What have you done with him?” He turned to face Chin- who had come down with him- as he pointed at his phone and then up at the building. Catching on fast Chin dialed Kono and told her trace Danny’s phone call.

“Your Commander is alive. For now.” He could hear the way she said this and how she sneered Steve’s title and it set his teeth on edge. Danny currently had the urge to put his hands around her neck and wring the life from her…

“Where is he!” He demanded the answer from her with such anger that Chin’s eyes went a bit wide and he took a half step back.

“I have him here with me, Commander-“ She was interrupted by what sounded like Steve in the background yelling. Danny couldn’t hear exactly what Steve was saying but he did hear the subsequent slap and grunt followed by Katina’s angry words, “Shut your foul mouth, Commander.”

“Hey!” Danny yelled into his phone, “You lay another hand on him and I swear you’ll regret it!”

She laughed in his ear and again Danny felt his hands itch, “Then you better find him quickly, Detective. We wouldn’t want anything else to happen to him, hm?”

Before he could say anything else the line went dead and he was glaring at Chin. “Tell me she got something!”

They were back upstairs and all around the tech tale when Kono sighed, “Something feels off about this, Danny.”

“Where is she?” His growled question had her frowning as she shook her head and moved something from the table to one of the other screens. “I tracked it to this neighborhood.”

Whatever she saw Danny didn’t. But then he was too angry to focus clearly, “Okay?”

“Danny… This is your neighborhood.” She tapped the table twice and zoomed the picture down to the exact location. “She’s at your house…”

And sure enough Danny focused in on the blinking red dot. That was his street. That was his side of the cul-de-sac…

And before anyone could say anything else he was out of the office yet again.

            Danny was two minutes into his race when he answered his ringing car with a growled out, “What!”

“Danny, Lou has Jerry running some kind of tech trace, but you have to think about this! You can’t just race in there with guns blazing! Steve would kill you!” He could hear sirens on Chin’s end of the call and a quick glance in his rearview showed him that two red cars were on his six. Chin and Kono.

A huffed half laugh brought him back to the call, “Hell, if roles were reversed you’d kill Steve.”

Danny swallowed, took a deep breath and nodded, “Fine… Have Jerry also run a quick check for me. Make sure the kids are safe too.”

“Lou already did that.” This voice was Kono. Apparently Chin had conferenced her in before calling him, “Charlie is still with Rachel and he had Renee pick up Grace and Will, both are now safe with her.”

Chin’s voice over the line came in again, “Danny, you need to breathe. Take deep breaths and get yourself under control. We’ll get him back.”

Danny did in fact take a very big deep breath, but his foot never came off the accelerator. As he forced himself to calm down and breathe his brain kicked over into Detective mode. “Kono, you said that the call came from my house.”

“Yeah, Boss. It just doesn’t feel right…”

“Yeah… It’s a trap. Chin I want you to call HPD, get the bomb squad over there. I want Lou to have Jerry tap into my security system if he can, and Kono I need you to call Eric. Tell him I’m really sorry about the gear he has in my house. If it becomes necessary we’ll replace it. And give him a rundown of what’s going on. I’m gonna call Rachel.”

Once he got off the phone with them he called up Rachel, “Hey. This call’s gonna be kind of quick. I know Lou already called you to check in but I’m calling now to tell you why.” He gave her a basic synopsis of what they were dealing with before promising to call again when he had another chance.

He was about to hang up when she spoke, “Danny, be careful. And bring him home.”

“I will, Rach. Promise.”

He was off the phone with her by the time he got the edge of his neighborhood and came to a stop at the end of the street just before his. As he turned the car off, two red vehicles pulled up behind him. Chin was talking as soon as he got out of the car, “Duke is two minutes out with the bomb squad, he made me promise to make you promise not to do anything Steve would do.”

Danny gave a tight grin as Chin came up to him and Kono was right behind him, “I need a visual on my house… And get Jerry on the phone.”

Kono waved her phone at him and already had it pressed to her ear as Danny stopped talking. “Hey. I’m gonna put you on speaker.” She pulled the device away from her ear and hit a button on screen, “Go ahead Jer.”

“Danny I’ve got eyes inside. The camera’s you put in the kitchen and living room show nothing.”

“What about the one in my bedroom?”

“I didn’t know you had one in there.” Jerry sounded a touch scandalized and Danny smirked a bit, “It’s probably on a different signal since it’s smaller. But it’s motion detected. If it went off earlier you might be able to tell.”

They could hear Jerry typing away on his computer which was drowned out suddenly by sirens in the not too distant distance. A moment later Jerry’s voice was heard and the sirens were gone but engines could be heard coming around the corner. “Okay, so there’s nothing in your room, but the window is open. Did you leave it like that?”

“No, the kids and I were at Steve’s last night. Can you see anything on the window sill?”

“I’m not sure, the picture isn’t exactly the greatest.”

“That’s fine Jer. But the house is empty?”

“From the looks of it. Do you have any other cameras in the house?”

“No. Are the other bedroom doors shut?” Danny looked up as Chin stepped away from them and headed over to where Duke and the bomb squad had pulled up.

“Yes. Grace and Charlie’s doors are closed. You positioned those cameras perfectly.” Jerry sounded proud and Danny chuckled lightly, “That’s Steve’s doing. Not me. Can you see either front or back doors?”

“I can.” A little typing and clicking and Jerry spoke again. This time he sounded concerned. “So the picture quality is better here… Both doors look rigged to blow…”

Danny sighed and his brain started to formulate some kind of plan. “Jer, can you see into Eric’s room?”

“His door’s closed too.”

Danny sighed again, “Damn it. Alright Jer. Thank’s. Get upstairs with Lou. I want eyes on this whole thing. There’s a security camera on a light pole at the end of the street. We had some break ins a while ago. Tap into it.”

“Sure thing, Boss. Stay safe.”

When the line was dead Kono gave Danny a strange look as Duke and Chin walked over, “What’s the plan, Boss?”

“We’re gonna blow it up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, don't anyone panic. I promise everyone will make it through this alive. The only thing that should perish will be some of Eric's tech. And thankfully Danny has insurance. xD  
> So tell me what ya think?!


	30. Blow It Up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big Ba-da-boom and a crazy little Loon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually finished at six in the morning. I was even gonna post it. But then I had to clock out and head home and go to bed because I had to be BACK to work ten hours later.  
> But I took a look at it after work and realized it was a mess. So it had to be rewritten.  
> Thankfully that only took 30 minutes.  
> And I'm now much happier with it than I was 45 minutes ago.  
> Hope y'all are too.

                            “We’re gonna do what?” Kono sounded incredulous and Chin’s face apparently shared her feelings but he said nothing for now.

“Danny, are you sure?” This came from Duke as he looked at Danny in concern.

“Yeah. I can almost guarantee she’s watching the place. And she probably knows I had our call traced. She’s not stupid. Angry and psycho. But far from stupid. So if she’s watching the house, she’ll be waiting for me. If she doesn’t have eyes directly on the house she’ll be somewhere she can see the blast.”

Danny now looked at Duke, “We need to get the surrounding houses emptied. And we gotta do it from this street. Get the houses near mine on this street cleared and then we’ll move into the back yards of the houses by me. I want a four house clearance on all sides.”

When Duke nodded and went to get started on what Danny wanted the blonde man turned back to Chin and Kono. He took the ear piece from Chin and put it in his ear, “Alright, so here’s my very Steve like plan....”

“Oh boy…” This was from Lou through the ear piece while Jerry snorted in the background.

“So she'll be watching the area. She's already been here. She knows my house. She'll even know about my back yard having coverage. This woman is smart. She'll know I won't go directly for the front door. She'll figure I'm thinking she's got Steve in the front room. So I'll go around to my back yard. It provides a lot of coverage with Charlie's jungle gym and swing set. Also a fair few trees in my yard. No upper level view." He sighed and shook his head, "She left the window open for a reason. She doesn't know I haven't been home all weekend, she'll figure that I might think I left it open when I left this morning. So she'll figure on me trying to use it as a way in. But she left some exposed wire and a 'rigging' in view on purpose. She knows I'll see it. So I won't use the window. Instead I'll 'think smart' and go for the back door."

Jerry's voice came through on the coms again, "Danny, if you're right, how are you going to avoid being blasted to Kingdom Come along with your house?"

"I am right. And I'll be on the back street when it blows. Why do you think I have the bomb squad here?" He then turned to Duke who had just walked back up, "Did you tell them to clear the whole cul-de-sac?" When Duke nodded he let out a breath and laid out a basic plan. "I'm gonna come up the street, sirens blaring, I want at least two units on my tail, she'll figure I called in back up. But I want them to stay on the street. My neighbor behind me and I share a gate. Grace uses it to get home when she stays over at a friend's house. I want a robot sitting at that gate ready to roll in as soon as I clear my front yard."

Duke gave a nod now and headed for where the bomb squad was set up to relay what Danny wanted.

Kono had the deepest frown on her face Danny had ever seen, "Danny, why are you doing this?"

Danny gave Kono a very pointed look, "What you should be asking is why is _she_ doing this?"

Lou, ever the sarcastic one, spoke up then, "Alright fine. Why _is_ she doing this?"

Danny shook his head and grinned darkly, "She wants Steve to suffer. She doesn't want to kill him. Not yet anyway."

"Why would she want to make him suffer?" Jerry was sounding confused again.

"Steve was the leader on the op where her family died. So she wants him to suffer the same way she did. Katina wants Steve to watch as the people he loves the most are taken from him the way her family was taken from her."

"So you're gonna give her what she wants?"

Danny looked at Chin now and nodded, "Exactly. And while I do that, Jerry, I want you to find me something that tells me where she went after she left my house."

“Already done, Boss!” He could almost kiss Jerry now. Almost. “I even managed to pull a plate and followed it using a few other cameras. She’s still in the area.”

“Can you possibly give me an approximation as to where? And maybe get some units over there?”

“I can definitely have some in the area, but I still don’t know exactly where she is.”

“In the area and close is better than not at all. She definitely has Steve so wherever she is, he is too. Get on that Jer, and let me know when they’ve got something.” With Jerry’s confirmation in his ear Danny turned as he heard Duke call for him.

“We’ve cleared four houses in all directions. We’re ready.”

With a nod and deep breath Danny rolled his shoulders, “Alright people. Let’s do this.”

            “I'm sure Commander, that by now you've figured out what it is I'm after." Katina Ashamed was currently standing at the window of an abandoned building only a few miles away from Detective William's neighborhood. From her vantage point she had a decent view and was certain she'd be able to see the explosion.

"You want to kill me." The man sounded tired and ever so angry. Good.

"Oh that too, of course. But first. I want you to know pain as I have known it." She turned from her window and looked back at where she had Steven chained to a steel chair. "You see, while I had your precious Detective on the phone I knew he'd run a trace. He's not stupid. But by now he no doubt thinks I was calling from his very own home."

Steven shuddered as his captor grinned and let out a dark little laugh.

"So once he's figured out where the call came from he will of course assemble the rest of your team and go in to rescue you. But only you and I know the truth. You won't be there." Her grin was cruel now as she stepped towards him, "And you will get to watch as I was forced to watch, while the very people you love, your family, are taken from you."

"You won't get away with this Katina." There was that anger again.

"Oh that won't matter one bit, Commander." She sneered his title, smirking as sirens sounded nearby. "Once your precious team is dead, I promise you'll join them soon enough. And after that-" Whatever was going to come next was cut short as something caught her attention. A dark look crossed her face as she wandered into another room.

For her, those sirens were way too close.

            Back in the afore mentioned neighborhood, Danny had confirmed that he was right. The window had been set up to appear rigged. But he had a feeling that it wasn't all show. He was clearing the back yard and heading for the gate when Jerry's voice sounded in his ear, "Hey Danny, one of the units I have dispatched is pretty sure he's got a visual on Katina."

"Pretty sure?" Danny kept his voice low as he motioned for the robot to head for his back door.

"It looks like she's holed up in an abandoned building that would conceivably have a decent view of the area below it."

Danny then nodded before remembering Jerry couldn't see him, "Got it. Try and discreetly have some teams surround the place. I want her pinned down. And can we maybe try and get a visual on Steve? Or is that asking too much?"

"This is Steve, Danny. Nothing is asking too much."

Lou's reassuring comment had Danny blinking at the pricking sting of tears as he let out a heavy sigh and stepped out onto the street in front of his neighbor's house.

Taking one last look back he saw the robot get into position at the back door and took a moment to lament the fact that he'd now have to find ANOTHER place to stay.

He gave a shake of his head and made his way down the street to where the bomb squad was set up. He was halfway to them when it happened.

The explosion shook the whole area, rattling windows of homes nearby. The concussion of the blast actually caused Danny to stumble, but he never fell. Instead he turned and stared for a few moments in the direction of his poor demolished home.

With a sigh he rubbed a hand over his face and continued back to his team and the bomb squad.

            Not far away a cry of pain rent the air as Steven McGarrett cried out for his team and the man he loved.

That cry was then followed by a whole lot of commotion…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon-ish.  
> For now, what did y'all think of this one?


	31. Resilience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve threatens violence, gets yelled at, hugged, and called Dad.  
> Danny makes Chin break laws, yells at Steve, and also gets hugged.  
> Chin breaks laws, Kono follows, and everyone gives Steve a strange look.  
> Danny's family is resilient.

            Lou’s voice was sharp in Danny’s ear now as the Detective came to a stop in front of Kono and Chin, “Danny! We got him! Katina is down, Steve is secure!”

Hearing Lou say this caused Danny to sigh with a bit of relief. That was until…

“Uh, Danny… The guys are saying you should probably get to Steve…”

“Why?” Danny’s eyes went wide as Kono and Chin look up at him with equal amounts of concern in their eyes.

“Well it appears that Steve may or may not think you’re dead and is being forcefully restrained to keep from killing our suspect…”

Jerry’s words had all three of the original team running for their cars- Danny with Chin as his own was still in front of his now flaming house.

“I don’t care how many laws we break, I want us there in two flat.” His voice was hard as Chin started the engine and gunned it without a word.

            As two 5-O units were on their way to them- at nearly illegal speeds, various members of HPD were dealing with a very feral Steven McGarrett, “I WANT HER HEAD! SHE KILLED HIM! SHE’LL FRY!”

“Commander, I need you to relax for just a minute. I have to get your vitals.” The EMT that was currently trying to examine Steve kept his voice level as he tried to force Steve’s focus on him. On more than one occasion this man had seen all members of 5-O in this shape and he’d learned a thing or two about keeping them calm.

However, today was not his day. Steve wasn’t having it.

“YOU CAN FUCK OFF! I DON’T WANT YOU TO TOUCH ME! I WANT TO KILL HER!”

“STEVEN JACK MCGARRETT! YOU LET THAT MAN DO HIS DAMN JOB OR SO HELP ME GOD I WILL TIE YOU DOWN MYSELF!”

The voice that bellowed through the air caused Steven to freeze completely where he was being held down. He barely registered the poor EMT’s sigh of thanks because his eyes were now focused on what he thought for a moment might be a mirage.

“Danny?” His throat felt raw around the name as the blonde mirage stepped towards him.

“I’m here Steve. I promise.” The voice was tender and calm now and he even placed his hand on the shoulder of one of the HPD boys keeping Steve held down to prove his point as the man looked at him, nodded, and stepped out of the way, getting the other three men- minus the EMT- to do the same.

Steve would stay put now.

“Danny?” Steve sounded a little broken and confused as he lifted a hand to reach for Danny.

Even as those fingers curled into his shirt instead of against his cheek, Danny stepped into the touch and placed his own hand against Steve’s neck. “No hallucinations here, Steve. See? Even Mikey can see me.”

“And I do have to say, you’re looking a little rough, Detective.” The EMT remarked as he looked over the pair after removing the blood pressure cuff from Steve’s arm.

“Well yeah. I supposed blowing up your own house and finding your partner has been kidnapped by a psycho woman can do that to you…”

The EMT raised an eyebrow and nods, “That explains the Commander, here.”

Danny nods and smirks a bit, “Yeah. It does.”

“With that in mind, Detective, I would feel better if you let me or my partner look you over too.”

Danny felt Steve’s hand tighten in his shirt and he smiled softly, “So long as Steve doesn’t have to let go.”

“We can accommodate that, Sir.” The EMT’s words were enough for Steve to loosen his grip a little. But not much.

            Half an hour later saw the whole team now gathered at the scene of Danny’s house once more. Steve was refusing to be more than an arm’s reach from Danny but no one was commenting on that at all.

“Okay so… Run this whole thing by me. Why didn’t you just climb through the window and defuse one of the bombs?”

Danny took a deep breath and leaned against Steve’s side as he began to explain, “So, I couldn’t go through the window that was open. She’d actually rigged it like I’d figured on in the first place- one of the firemen found an incendiary device in that area once they got the fire out, confirming my theory.”

“But how did you know it was rigged if you couldn’t get in?”

Danny grinned a little and looked at Steve, “Because I learned to think like you. And I wasn’t gonna be able to get in through any of the other windows either because I keep them all locked. The only option available to me was blowing it up. Especially as the doors were rigged from the inside and on a delayed timer. The robot wasn’t going to be able to get in and defuse it in time.”

Steve was about to say something when the team heard a very panicked Grace calling across the area, “DANNO!”

The team turned as one to see her running at them full speed. Steve and Danny stepped forward while Lou, Kono, Jerry, and Chin all stepped out of her way.

Even as tall as she now was she launched herself into Danny’s arms and the shorter man caught her as if she was still Charlie’s size, “Danno!”

“I’m okay, Monkey,” Danny whispered into her hair as he held her tightly and she sobbed into his shoulder and blindly reached a hand out to snag Steve’s shirt and pull him in too. “We’re both okay.” Danny’s voice was still muffled in her hair as Steve’s arms came around them both and the taller man dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

Danny looked up just as Rachel came into view too with Charlie on her hip. A frown on his face now as he spotted that Charlie had very clearly been crying while Rachel looked like she might not be fairing much better.

Danny handed Grace off to Steve who went with the shift easily then he stepped over to Rachel who quickly moved into his embrace with Charlie still on her hip. “Please don’t do that again?”

Danny laughed wetly into her hair and nodded, “I can’t make promises, but I swear to make sure we always come through it without too much damage.”

Rachel laughed into his shoulder and nodded as Charlie managed to change from his mother’s hip to Danny’s on his own. The adults took the shift in stride as Danny wrapped an arm around Charlie and pressed a kiss to his forehead as the younger Williams clung to his shirt and seemed to be reduced to a limited vocabulary at the moment, “Danno? Uncle Steve?”

Rachel nodded as if in agreement as Danny walked over to Steve and Grace now with Rachel following along behind him, “Uncle Steve? Mighty Mouse would like some attention too.”

Rachel watched with a raised brow as her children literally traded adults and tried to hide her trembling grin behind her hand.

            Twenty minutes later as Danny was talking to the captain of the fire team with Charlie attached to his hip he looked up as he heard two different voices calling out. One was Nahele and the other was Eric.

Nahele was headed with a determined stride to Steve, “Dad!” The moniker got a series of surprised looks from various people but Steve looked up at the voice and shifted Grace in his arms and held the other out for Nahele as the younger male sped up his stride and practically launched himself at Steve much the same way Grace had done Danny earlier.

With a grin on his face Danny turned his attention to his nephew who was now at his side, “I’m sorry about your gear.”

“Don’t worry about it. You and Uncle Steve are alive. That’s all I care about. My gear is replaceable. You guys aren’t.”

Danny nodded and gave Eric a one armed hug before something registered in his head, “Uncle Steve?”

Eric blushed a little and grinned with a shrug of a shoulder, “Well I mean… Since you two seem to be a thing, why not?”

Danny smirked and nodded, as he motioned for him to head over to wear the rest of the team was assembled while he turned his attention back to the Captain who was trying and failing to hide a grin of his own.

It was in that moment that Danny found himself amazed at the resilience of the people in his life.

Even with everything that transpired in the last several hours smiles and laughter were had in the last two. This was his life and these were the people in it.

How had he gotten so lucky?


	32. Ohana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment with family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally I was gonna scrap this chapter and go on to the next one. But I figured everyone might like to see a moment of happy when all are involved.  
> So I give you chapter 32. Ohana.

            After a full interrogation of the suspect- not done by Danny or Steve- and her booking within a secure facility, the whole team had decided to call it a day and now found themselves at Steve’s house in the back yard.

Danny and Steve were sprawled in their respective chairs, hands clasped, Grace leaning against Danny’s knees, Nahele mirroring her against Steve’s knees, and Charlie curled up in Steve’s lap and nearly asleep.

The rest of their Ohana were all spread out around them on the grass with three different kinds of take out between them all.

Eric and Jerry were passing a box of pizza between them while Kono, Lou, and Chin passed Chinese containers between themselves. Rachel, Nahele, Grace, and Rene passed some containers from Kamekona’s back and forth and Adam, Will, Samantha, and Abby were passing some Thai containers between them.

Apparently no one could agree on what they all wanted so everything was ordered and Steve had paid for it all- much to the surprise and amusement of Danny and Lou.

So now the whole crew was together sharing food and conversations back and forth until Rene voiced a question that apparently was on the minds of everyone since earlier in the day, “So Steve. Inquiring minds wanna know, since when are you ‘Dad’?”

Various murmurs of agreement around the circle and Danny watches for a moment as Nahele blushes a bit and hides in his current container of food. He grins a bit as Steve lets go of Danny’s hand for a moment to squeeze gently at the back of Nahele’s neck before taking Danny’s hand again and looking at Danny’s watch, “Well legally for about ten hours now.”

Grace piped up from her own container of food without looking up, “But if you wanna get technical, he’s been ‘Dad’ for a while. He’s just never realized it.”

Danny snickered into his beer as Steve looked at her with a rather surprised expression.

“Wait a second. You said ‘Legally’. When did this happen?” Kono had her head cocked to the side as she asked this.

“Weren’t you listening? Ten hours ago.”

She turned to stare at Chin now with a very bland expression, “Listen here, smart ass…”

“I’m listening.” He grinned over the top of his Chinese container

“I thought you couldn’t actually legally adopt him because he was already of legal age?” This was from Rene now as she brought focus back to Steve.

“He couldn’t,” Nahele started after finally regaining his composure, “But then I did some research and found something called adult adoption.”

Adam picked up here now and nodded, “I’ve heard of that. It gives the adoptee the ability to circumvent needing a court order or biological parental permission for someone to adopt them.” He gave Nahele a grin, “And since you were technically a ward of the state it would have been a court order.”

Nahele nodded as he and Grace swapped containers, “Yeah well, Dad isn’t the only one I did it for…” No one missed the way Grace grinned and shifted back against Danny’s legs and Nahele gave the blonde man a bright grin.

Danny grinned now as everyone stared at him with wide eyes, “Nahele, take your brother so your father can go get more drinks.”

Nahele cleared his throat, grinned, and passed his container of food back to Grace for a moment, “Yes Danno.” He then shifted to take the little blonde boy that was being passed to him as Steve got up.

Charlie barely seemed to register the shift in persons as he settled into Nahele’s lap and continued to snooze quietly. He didn’t care who was holding him at the moment. His people were safe, and he was surrounded by those that loved him. He was happy.

 “So Danny, you have not one, not two, but three kids now. How does that feel?”

Danny looked over at Rachel with a soft smile and leaned his head back against the chair, “Not so different from normal.” He looked over at Nahele with the same smile in place, “It’s just legal now.”

Danny got a bit of satisfaction from seeing Nahele’s face light up with a bright smile as he hugged Charlie who now appeared to be waking up a bit. “M’hungry ‘Hele…” to which the older male replied with, “You’re always hungry, Charlie.” But he took the container passed to him by Grace and allowed the little blonde to dig in happily.

Steve came back with drinks for everyone and was settling back into his chair when he looked at Charlie and Nahele, “Stomach won out over sleep?”

“Yup, Tiny here decided food was more important than dreaming of race cars and airplanes.”

“So Danny, you do have insurance, right?”

Danny looked over to Abby now and nodded as he took a sip of his new beer, “Damn skippy.”

“Danno got Steve proof insurance.” This got several snorts of laughter from the group and a mock dirty look from Steve.

“She’s not kidding,” This in turn got a wide eyed look from Steve as he looked at Danny now. “What? I know the kind of crap that befalls you. If I didn’t have insurance to cover my ass I knew there would be problems.”

While the rest of the group laughed, Steve put on a pout, “That’s not fair, Danno.”

‘Danno’ raised an eyebrow, “Have you already forgotten what happened today?”

Steve’s expression darkened now and Danny quickly reached his hand out for Steve to take as the dark haired man shook his head, “No…”

To keep the situation light Danny smiled and squeezed Steve’s hand, “Alright then. That’s why I got Steve proof insurance.”

“So wait a second, your insurance covers exploding houses?” Abby asked again.

“Accidental explosion. Yup.”

“But does that qualify as accidental? I mean, it was a robot that triggered the explosion and you did do it on purpose.” This was from Lou who was now leaning back on his elbows in the grass.

Danny ignored that for a moment and continued on, “There’s also coverage for break ins. Which she did do because I wasn’t home all weekend save for a few hours Friday night into very early Saturday morning.”

“And according to the footage from Danny’s security cameras, she broke in this morning after everyone was already at work.” This was supplied by Jerry who was polishing off his last slice of pizza. “And if what the HFD and HPD were saying is true, she kind of blew up a lock to get in the house, because the back door was rigged closed when the robot’s video was reviewed afterwards.”

Danny made a hand motion towards Jerry, “See? And I’ve already talked to my insurance agent, she says that it does qualify as accidental as the woman clearly broke in with the intention of killing me.” Danny’s words were met with Steve’s hand tightening its hold on his and Grace’s weight against his legs getting a bit heavier.

He tightened his fingers against Steve’s hand while pressing his legs more firmly against Grace to let them both know he was there and they were okay.

Resilient they may be, but reassurance was always helpful. He got this as he looked around the group to see each of them in turn giving him their own looks as if to make sure that he really was still in front of them.

Samantha leaned into her mother’s side as she spoke up now, “So it looks like you’re going to have to find a new place to live.”

Steve’s fingers twitched against his and the SEAL spoke before Danny could say anything, “No he doesn’t.”

“There ya go.”

Grace tilted her head back and looked at Danny, “What about Eric?”

This prompted the CSI to pipe up then, “Oh! In all the chaos, I forgot to tell you. I got approved for the apartment, Uncle D.”

Danny’s eyes widened and he grinned, “That’s awesome! Too bad you have to do even more shopping to furnish it _and_ your closet.”

“Nah, makes movin’ in easy. No worries Uncle D.”

“Danny’s default setting is worry.” There was laughter as Danny threw a napkin at Chin but did nothing else to dispute it.

            While his Ohana laughed at his expense Danny once again found himself marveling at the resilience of the people around him.

He had a strong family and damn if he wasn’t proud to have them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did ya like?


	33. He'll Love It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An important question is asked and Danny finally gets that chocolate dessert.  
> Also, Lou likes Moonshine~

            Danny was currently making a store run with Charlie while Steve was standing at the island counter with Grace and Nahele sitting opposite him on the breakfast stools. He was staring at the small velvet box in his trembling hands while they stared at him.

“Well do we get to see it? Or are you just going to stare longingly at it?” He looked up at the two with a startled expression like he’d forgotten they were there.

“What?”

“Can we see the ring?” Steve looked at Grace as if she’d grown a second head but handed over the box none the less.

“Relax Dad. I’m sure he’ll be fine with whatever you picked out.” He looked at Nahele now and sighed out a short sound that Nahele interpreted as a little laugh. Or maybe it was gas…

Grace handed the box over to Nahele and he smiled at the simplicity of the black and blue tungsten band. “Oh yeah. He’ll love it.”

“Look inside of it.” He looked at Grace when she spoke and cocked his head to the side as she pointed at the ring, “Look at the inside of the band.”

Nahele then did just that, pulling the ring from its velvet cushion and rotating the ring until he could see the inner band. The metal was engraved with two dates separated by an inlaid sapphire. He smiled looked up at Steve and asked, “What are the dates?”

Steve blushed and chuckled a little as he shrugged a shoulder, “The day we met and apparently started the fall, and the day that we both figured it out.”

When both kids grinned at him brightly he blushed again and ducked his head, “He really is gonna love it, Dad.”

“I hope so, ‘Hele.”

“No worries. Danno loves you. He’ll love the ring. Besides, even if he didn’t, the dates would make him cry.” Steve laughed at Grace’s words and nodded in agreement. They all knew Danny was an emotional man.

Now Steve just had to figure out the perfect time to ask him.

            The perfect time came later after dinner.

“Hey Dad, is there anything for dessert?”

Steve looked up at Nahele who managed to give him a significant look as Grace grinned into her water and Danny remained oblivious as he finished off his dinner.

“Yeah actually. Grace since you’re all done you wanna give me a hand in the kitchen?”

“Sure thing.” She hopped up then and helped clear out plates while Danny sat back and ran a hand over Charlie’s hair as the six year old played with his fork on the table like it was a racecar.

“So Nahele, what were you planning to do about college? I know you got into a few but you hadn’t made a definitive choice.”

“Well I got into four with the option for a football scholarship, so I was gonna utilize that. I got accepted into Rutgers out in New Jersey,” Here he pretended not to notice the way that Danny’s face lit up as he continued on, “I also got accepted into the University of Southern California as well as San Fransico. Hawai’i wants me too. But I can’t seem to make up my mind.”

Danny smiled, “Well whatever you choose, you know we’ll support you all the way.”

“That’s good to know because I was thinking of going in for Criminal Justice.”

He saw the smirk flit across Danny’s lips, “Well I suppose it’s only fitting, seeing as who your family is.”

“I was kind of thinking the same thing.” Danny looked up from talking to Nahele as Grace came in carrying two plates. She set one in front of Danny and continued talking while her father looked at the chocolate dessert on his plate with a hungry gleam and a happy grin, “I wanted to go in for C.J. once I graduate too.”

Danny shook his head as he took his first bite of the chocolate dessert as Grace placed the second plate in front of Charlie who clapped happily and began to dig in much like Danny was.

“So we’ll have a family full of the Lawfully inclined.” Danny looked up at Nahele as the teen said this and raised an eyebrow. “What? It was what popped into my head and it worked.”

He snickered as Danny shook his head and continued to happily devour what appeared to be a chocolate tart.

When Grace returned she had two more plates in hand and set one in front of Nahele while she took her own seat once more. The teens happily watched their Danno as he ate his dessert while Steve silently stepped into the room behind him.

“This is good Dad, did you make this?”

Steve grinned as he set his own plate on the table where he’d been sitting, “I did. And it was the first dessert I ever made for your Danno.”

They all watched- save for Charlie who was still too busy eating his dessert- as Danny blinked at the chocolate he was eating and then looked up at Steve who was now standing beside him with one hand behind his back and the other braced on the table.

“Granted, he didn’t get to eat it that night due to unexpected interruptions.”

Nahele looked at Grace with a raised brow and she shook her head, silently promising to explain later.

“This was what you’d made?” Danny sounded in awe as he stared up at Steve with wide eyes.

“Yeah. I made it today, too.”

Danny looked down at his half eaten piece already and looked for a moment as if he wanted to cry but instead he looked back up at Steve huffed, “Now I’m mad.”

“What?” Steve’s voice took on a high pitch of confusion, “Why?”

“Because, she interrupted before I got to the best part of the whole damn meal.”

Seeing the way Steve’s face lit up as he threw his head back into a full body laugh had Charlie looking up and all three kids grinning at their parents.

Danno was looking up at Steve with eyes shining in love and the way Steve looked back at Danny clearly showed to anyone looking on that he returned that love with every part of his being.

It was almost overwhelming to see. And very nearly so to be in their presence.

“Daniel Williams,” Steve started to speak again with a tender smile on his lips, “How long have we known each other?”

“A long time Steven. Why?”

“And how long have we been together?”

Grace and Nahele snickered as Danny replied, “According to the rest of the people we know? Or officially?”

Steve grinned and shook his head, “Officially Danno.”

“Six months, three weeks, four days, and-“ He stopped here to look at his watch now and grins, “ten hours.”

When he looked back up he saw that Steve’s eyes were wide and he was the one that now looked like he was gonna cry. Clearly Steve wasn’t the only one who was keeping that kind of track.

“Why do you ask?”

When prompted Steve took his hand from behind his back and smoothly- and slowly- went to one knee with a little black box in hand.

“Steven, what are you doing?” Though Danny sounded apprehensive he looked at Steve with wide eyes and one hand gripping tightly the fork still in his right hand.

“Daniel Williams, we’ve only been dating for just over six months. But I’ve loved you since the moment I met you.” He opened the box- with one hand- and reached forward to take Danny’s left hand in his own, “And I think it’s high time we finally become the married couple everyone else has always thought we were.”

Here Danny found he had to put down the fork to wipe away a stray tear that escaped his eyes.

“What do you say, Danno? Will you marry me?”

All three McGarrett-Williams children watched as Danny fought so hard not to let more tears fall as he nodded quickly and pulled Steve up to him for a kiss before Steve laughed and worked to put the ring on Danny’s finger.

Now the easy part. Telling the family.

            For what felt like the millionth time, Danny was on the phone with his mother.

“Danny, your sister wants to know what the dates are?” He’d sent his parents pictures of the rings when they’d asked for them and had included the inside of the band.

With a grin he tucked the phone into his shoulder while he pulled he buttoned his shirt up, “The first one is the day that we met. The second is the day we both realized we were in love with each other.”

When his mother relayed the information to his sister he could hear her ‘awwww’ in the background and he couldn’t help the eye roll and the snicker as he now tucked his shirt in.

“And the little sapphire?”

Danny chuckled a bit, “Well, I could be wrong, but I think it’s because my eyes are blue.”

“Are you two gonna have a civil ceremony at the court house or a proper ceremony?”

Danny grinned a bit again as he finished getting dressed for work, “Well I suggested both. Get the legal out of the way, that way it alleviates the stress of planning the wedding and having to worry about getting that done in time too.”

“That’s actually a smart idea, Danny. Your sister says she wishes they had thought of that.”

“Yeah, well I’ve had some practice at this.” He grinned again when his mother laughed in his ear, “Anyway Ma, I gotta go. Steve and I are running late this morning.”

His mother’s parting “I’m sure” caused him to blush- thankful that she couldn’t see it- and roll his eyes as they hung up. So Mom was done. That meant she’d tell the rest of the New Jersey family so he wouldn’t have to.

That just left Doris- if Steve could get a hold of her, and the rest of their Ohana. So a fun day ahead.

            To say their Ohana were happy for them was a complete and utter understatement.

“So which one of us gets to be your best man, Steve?” From the tone of Kono’s voice and the look on Chin’s face the pair were apparently betting on who got whom.

“Actually neither of you.”

It was almost comical how big their eyes got and Danny found it hard not to giggle as they stared at him.

“Nahele is gonna be my best man.”

“Aw! Come on! Nahele can’t plan a bachelor party! He’s underage!”

At this point Danny couldn’t help it as he did laugh at the cousins.

“Who says I even _want_ a bachelor party? Having a bachelor party implies that I’m going to miss my bachelor days.” Danny blushed when Steve grinned at him now, “I’m marrying my best friend. I do not in any way miss my bachelor days.”

“That’s so sweet I’m gonna need a dentist.” This from Lou who was currently holding Danny’s hand to get a good look at the ring. “Hey McGarrett, where’d you get this? Rene and I are looking to replace my band at our anniversary and I really like this.”

“It’s tungsten. We have rough jobs so I figured a strong metal would suit. I’ve got a card for the jeweler in my wallet, they’re on the main stretch.”

“Well, what about you Danny? Since Steve has Nahele, who gets to be yours?”

Danny cleared his throat to cover a snicker as Lou snorted and released his hand before walking into his office, “Actually guys, Grace will be mine. She already demanded it.” He smirked now when both scoffed and Kono continued to pout, “She claims that I owe her. And besides, like Steve said, I don’t _need_ a bachelor party. I won’t miss those days at all.”

When both looked at each other Danny found himself remembering every single moment with Steve that lead them to this very second and he found that it further cemented the idea in his head that he and Steve really did have their heads up their asses for far too long.

“Alright then,” All heads turned to look at Lou as the man came out of his office carrying am unlabeled bottle of something that looked vaguely alcoholic and several glasses, “I was saving this for a special occasion and I suppose this doesn’t get more special than Danny and Steve getting hitched.”

This was met by laughter and agreement as he set glasses in front of each person and began to pour two fingers into each glass.

With drinks poured each member of the team lifted their glasses in a toast and Jerry spoke, “To Danny and Steve, may their love run stronger than the tides and deeper than the ocean. And may they forever find solace in one another when times are rough.”

As Danny and Steve smiled blindingly at one another everyone else toasted with Jerry, “To Danny and Steve.”

Though the moment was soon interrupted by Chin coughing, “Holy shit, Lou! Did you get this from my uncle?”

Danny was just taking a sip himself when Lou snickered and answered, “Oh yeah. Man knows how to make a damn fine moonshine~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is going to be one of the last chapters for this piece. I think this is the second to last one, but I might add an epilogue with just a bit of smutt since I never did actually give you guys that.
> 
> How'd you like it? Did you enjoy it?  
> If so please leave a comment below and thank you for reading~
> 
> Love and Good Reading~  
> Ramsey

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first foray into this fandom- well at least my first one that's written down- and I have recently finished watching the original H5O and I have to say, Danno/Steve are my OTP 5EVER.  
> So when I started watching the reboot I was ready to be either disappointed or extremely happy. And I am so very glad I was NOT disappointed.  
> Now, I am only on season 2 of the reboot but I have seen some of the episodes on TV themselves so I do know a lot of what happens kind of already. So for some of you, SPOILERS~ (said in River Song voice), but for the rest I hope I've done this some justice. ((also, i know adam is japanese but i'm pretty sure they're just as in touch with their ancestors as the chinese. and kono calls grace 'sunshine'.))  
> Hope you all enjoyed. Let me know in the comments below~
> 
> xoxo CMR~


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